Head Over Wheels
by omgitskee
Summary: A multi-chapter fic that chronicles the relationship milestones between Quinn Fabray and Artie Abrams. The first date, the engagement, the birth of their first-born, all of it. This is their journey. Quartie. Rated T for potential steamy scenes.
1. Serendipity

_"We met for the first time since high school at Yale..."_

Quinn Fabray sat in the main courtyard of Yale University. On her first day back from summer break, she saw a few familiar faces, and more than a few new ones. Quinn couldn't help but scope out the freshmen. They looked so lost, with their suitcases and campus maps tucked under their arms. A year ago, that was Quinn, making her way into the drama department, and now...Well, now, she was hardly noticed by anyone _but_ the drama department. This place was not at all like high school, and she discovered that long ago.

Quinn began to walk, roam campus, and probably go down to the theatre to see if any old friends were hanging out over there. In her hands, Quinn carried a three-ring binder, a coffee cup, and a copy of the movie Serendipity, starring Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack. She had promised Kacie, a friend from the drama department, that she'd bring her the DVD as soon as classes started back up. The movie had always been one of Quinn's favorites, with its portrayals of fate and romance, and the two combined, being one of those feel-good romantic comedies that just made her melt.

Suddenly, Quinn's face met the chest of a rather tall guy with a broad chest and a polo shirt a size too small for his body. He muttered a quick apology, but without hesitation, continued to meet up with whatever friend he was in such a rush to see. Quinn grimaced, kneeling over to pick up all of her fallen belongings. Her coffee had spilled, her sunglasses had fallen off of her face, and her binder was in an almost painful disarray. After getting the stuff back together, Quinn quickly recovered and restarted her walk toward the theatre. The soles of her shoes were sticking to the ground, because they were covered in spilled coffee, and were making this awful peeling sound every time she took a step. What a fantastic way to begin her sophomore year.

Amidst all the noise, Quinn couldn't help but hear a few "Hey"s stand out in the crowd. In such a big college campus, it would be ridiculous to even assume that someone was adressing you when they said "Hey." But something made Quinn turn around. When she did, she caught glimpse of a boy in a wheelchair, wheeling furiously toward her. Quinn propped her sunglasses up on top of her head, wondering what he could be wanting to talk to her for.

"You-" he started, clearly out of breath as he slowed down in front of her. "-you dropped this back there." He heaved, and held up the copy of Serendipity. Quinn sighed, and instantly felt embarrassed, awful, and like a completely bad person all at the same time. He rolled all this way...just to give her a DVD. How sweet. "I um..." started the boy, "...I love that movie too."

Quinn smiled, and took the DVD from him. "Thank you. I was bringing it for a friend. It's one of my favorites." She looked down at the boy. He had brown hair and was wearing a sweatervest. He looked familiar, but missing something. Something that would make it click as to exactly who he was. And suddenly, Quinn gasped with realization. "Artie Abrams." she exclaimed, a hand over her mouth. She did not expect to ever see anyone from McKinley here at Yale. Ever. This was some kind of strange mixture of her old life and her new life, and she was unsure as to how to handle it. Sure, Quinn had gone home for about a month during the summer. The rest of the vacation she spent in Hawaii with her mom and Frannie. But while she was in Lima, the only people she saw were Santana, Brittany, and Mercedes, not counting the few other familiar faces that she passed by in the grocery store.

Artie reached down into his pocket and pulled out his glasses (so_ that's_ what he was missing). He blinked a few times, then looked taken aback himself.

"Quinn Fabray." he commented, kind of in disbelief. "That's right...you go here." he smirked, looking embarrassed himself.

Quinn chuckled. "Uh...yeah." she said, nodding. "I've been here for a year now. So...freshman?" she smirked down at Artie, and decided to take a seat next to his chair.

Artie gave a mocking smile, and shook his head. "Nope. I took enough AP classes last year and now I'm in here as a sophomore. I'm one of you, Q." Quinn laughed.

"Well, I was just on my way to the theatre. It's kind of...a hangout for the drama and film departments." she shrugged, standing. "You can come, too, I mean, I know you liked directing..."

Artie smiled. "Talk about serendipity..." he gestured to the DVD. "...I'm actually looking into Film Studies. It's a real major, I checked." Quinn laughed. She knew a bunch of film majors, and they were mostly cool, but a few were stuckup aspiring Spielbergs. But that didn't stop her from accepting roles in their student films. A role was a role. "I was actually kind of lost until now."

Quinn smirked. "Yeah, the campus map can be sort of confusing." she sighed, remembering her first day there and how lost she was. "I guess the freshman feeling still exists even when you're a sophomore, huh?" she bumped the side of his wheelchair with her hip teasingly.

"Ha-ha." Artie remarked. "I guess so. What's the drama department like?" he asked.

Quinn shrugged. "A lot of them are cool. A lot of them are pretentious. I mean, this is Yale after all. One of the most prestigious schools in the country. Pretention is inevitable. But I try not to let that handful define the entire campus, because, well...it's breathtaking here."

"It is. I've been here for two hours and I'm just...in awe." Artie gushed.

Smiling, Quinn looked down at Artie and replied, "I know. It takes some getting used to." She paused. "...So how was your senior year? How's Mr. Schue?"

Artie shook his head. "Senior year was crazy. It was so weird in glee club without all the seniors. No Rachel to irritate everyone, no Santana to make rude remarks, no Puck being awesome as all hell. We...really missed you guys." He then quieted, as if mentioning Quinn's baby daddy might have turned the conversation to an awkward note. Quinn smirked. Puck was one other person she'd somewhat kept in touch with in the past year. He kept her posted on whenever he got to see their daughter, Beth, and though Quinn wasn't necessarily granted access yet, he said that Shelby was on her way to forgiving her.

"Do you and Puck still talk? I mean...I know you were good friends at the beginning of junior year." she commented, since Puck had never really mentioned Artie. But that wasn't fair to jump to such an assumption because, well, she and Puck hardly spoke. Quinn could hear a similar peeling sound like the one from the bottom of her shoes coming from Artie's chair. So he'd rolled through the spilled coffee, too, huh?

Artie nodded. "Sometimes. He used to come over and play Halo. But we're still friends, yeah." he nodded. Quinn gave a grin. She'd always really liked the friendship between Artie and Puck. They were the kind of friends that balanced each other out. As they approached the theatre, Quinn felt her chest fill with nostalgia. She hadn't performed in there since last March, and as long as she was with an old high school friend, nostalgic feelings were unavoidable.

"Here it is." she smiled and leaned against the stage door. "It's kind of like a second home, but I think the musical theatre kids would probably come at me with pitchforks for saying that." Artie laughed.

"Well lucky me, I'm a director. Anywhere I can boss people around is a home to me." The two chuckled, and soon began reminiscing about West Side Story, the first musical Artie had ever directed.

"You did brilliantly in West Side Story. Did you do any directing last year?"she asked curiously. If the thought had crossed her mind then, Quinn definitely would've attended any production directed by this amazing guy. He was a visionary, and she loved that. And she could tell that he was the happiest when he was watching people bring his visions to life.

"Yeah, actually. We did Guys and Dolls. It was a blast." he sighed, obviously remembering the production. Judging by the look on his face, it was something amazing. Quinn wished she'd have seen it. But for now, all she did was smile down at this piece of her past who just waltzed into her present, and it felt kind of...right.

The stage door to the theatre opened, making Quinn jump. Kacie stood there with her arms folded over her chest, eyeing Quinn. "Making new friends already, Q?" she smirked. "And gee, I thought we had something special." Her brown curls bobbed, beneath her beanie, as she waited for Quinn to say something.

Quinn quickly snapped out of her nostalgia, and looked up at Kacie. "Oh! Um...Artie, this is Kacie, Kacie, this is Artie. He and I went to high school together."

Kacie sized Artie up with a glance, didn't look particularly pleased, then looked back to Quinn. "So wasn't there a movie you were supposed to bring me?" From the sound of her voice, Quinn knew she was expecting her to have forgotten it.

"Actually, thanks to Artie here, the movie would still have been on the pavement in the main courtyard." Quinn rested a hand on his shoulder, a gesture she'd done a few times before in her life, and handed Kacie the DVD. The look on her face was priceless.

Artie popped the collar of his sweatervest and smirked. "You know how I do." He and Quinn were then sent into a fit of laughter. Kacie rolled her eyes and looked at the cover of the DVD.

"_Serendipity_." she read aloud. "I've heard that word so many times in my life, and I still have no idea know what it even means." she frowned.

Artie spoke to Kacie, but couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of Quinn. "It means something that happened...by fate." he said. Quinn smiled down at him, and pushed his head away with her hand, breaking the eye contact. The eye contact was kind of intense, and she needed a better way to break it than by just turning away.

"Yeah." she nodded to her friend. "What he said." she took a breath in the silence, and let it out before peering back over to Artie, who quickly looked away. "What he said." she repeated.


	2. Halloween

_"The first time I ever indirectly offended Quinn? Uhh..."_

Artie waited in the library for Quinn. They'd been in school for a few months, now, and it was Halloween. While the rest of the campus was a-buzz with costumes, candy, and parties, Artie was putting the final touches on his student film, Drop Dead Gorgeous, perfect to air for Halloween night.

Quinn had starred in it. The two of them were inseparable since the first day of the semester. Going on study dates, hanging out in each others' dorms. She told him that she hadn't been really close friends with anyone her first year there. Kacie was the closest she'd gotten, and Artie could see why that didn't turn into a "best" friendship. There were several occasions where she openly referred to him as her "best friend". And every time, Artie had mixed feelings about it. The fourteen-year-old boy in him that first saw Quinn Fabray pass him by in the halls of McKinley high school, who was smitten with her killer smile and hazel eyes, was kind of feeling FriendZoned. But the grown-ass man in him that was a Yale student now, who knew that life could hand you lemons sometimes, was being practical.

Quinn Fabray's friendship was something to be honored. He'd take what he could get. The two of them together could laugh and could goof off around each other, in a way that the stone-cold facade of Quinn had never revealed in high school. Artie was humbled to be her "best friend", no matter how much he wanted to be more.

Their past was actually the inspiration for the film that he would be airing tonight. He remembered how Quinn acted during prom season of her junior year, and how much she wanted to be prom queen. So, naturally, Artie turned that into a psychological slasher film, full of tomato-sauce blood and shitty special effects. Quinn starred in it as Chelsea Gurtler, a high school senior who killed her five running mates so she could be crowned prom queen. When Artie proposed the idea to Quinn, she laughed, and mocked offense. "Was I really that bad?" she questioned. Artie simply gave a meek shrug.

He sat in the library, now, editing the last few scenes. He couldn't decide which shot of Quinn's character's dead body he wanted to use as the final shot. Her acting had been phenomenal the entire time, but this last scene...Artie couldn't find a single shot where she didn't look beautiful.

"Hey!" he heard from behind him. Artie quickly turned his body to find Quinn beaming down at him as she took a seat.

"I was doing the final edit for the movie, which is airing at midnight." Artie said. He'd been editing all day, and his eyes were tired from staring at his laptop. "I've got one last shot to add, but..." he sighed, "I can't choose which take of your body to pan out with."

Artie looked over at Quinn with his glasses far down on his nose. He'd been too exhausted to push them back up.

Quinn then pointed a finger in his face, and Artie was convinced she was gesturing towards drool or something. But her finger kept moving, and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Artie squinched up his face, and gave a chuckle. "Thanks."

Without hesitation or a "You're welcome", Quinn reverted her attention back to the computer screen. Typical Fabray. Always getting down to business.

"Alright, so...why can't you choose which take to use?" she asked, peering at the screen, trying to read into Artie's thoughts.

Artie shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, the way the light hits your cheek here," he clicked the still of the first take, ",really makes you look like a fallen marble statue of sorts and I love that. But in this next one, you're looking straight at the camera. It really engages the viewer. And the last one, you've got blood rolling off of your cheek. It's in motion. I like that, too." The sound Quinn then made made it clear that she could see his dilemma.

"Point blank, you look too damn gorgeous in all of them. At least try to look like a dead murderess for once, Q. God." Artie teased. Quinn laughed, a little uneasily.

She then squinted at the computer screen, and bit her lip, pondering. "Play the end back without the dead body clip." Artie knit his eyebrows in confusion, but complied. "...Cut it out." Quinn said, decidedly, after it played out. "I think the movie has a much more dynamic feel if you don't look at the body at the end. At all." Before Artie knew it, Quinn was grabbing her book bag and heading out the door. Was it something he said? Did the comment about her being gorgeous make her uneasy? Artie tried to stop her, but she was already halfway across the room.

"Wait." he asserted. On her heels, Quinn turned to him and raised an eyebrow. Not an angry eyebrow, but a confused one. "...you'll be at the screening tonight, right? On the wall next to the theatre?" he asked. Quinn looked down at her feet, then back up.

"Of course." she nodded. "Anything for you." Quinn gave Artie a smile, and then made her way back out the door.

That night, Artie found himself perched at the back of a grassy plain, with the entire Film Department flooding in to see his movie. Still no sign of Quinn, he hooked up the projector and began showing it anyway. He watched Quinn's performance as the lead, and couldn't help but marvel at her ability. She was so good at channeling any kind of emotion, and bringing it to the film. Every time she shot someone, or stabbed them, or pushed them off a balcony, Artie could feel it. She was a true actress. And then he realized what happened earlier. She loved to be told she was pretty, sure, but not in a professional setting. She wanted to be seen as a great actress.

It wasn't until the third murder did Quinn finally show up. She was dressed up as Marilyn Monroe in her famous white dresss and red lips.

She worked her way to Artie's tech box, high heels in hand.

"It's looking great." she commented. Artie gave a nod, and invited her to take a seat in his lap to watch the duration of the film. Quinn happily obliged, and they watched every murder, ghost, and scary jump-inducing moment.

And at the end, Artie left the final scene out.

"You're so much more than pretty." he commented softly, placing a hand on Quinn's hand.

She smiled, and looked down at her bare feet. "Thanks. But my talent would be nothing without your fantastic directing." she gushed.

Artie gave a laugh. "See, you're so good, I couldn't even tell if you were acting just then or not." Quinn began to laugh, too, and the two soon found themselves in a fit.

"Thanks." she chuckled, clutching Artie's hand. "That means a lot."


	3. The Beginning

_"We didn't exactly have a 'conventional' first kiss..."_

Quinn eyed the stacks of clothes on her bed, folded into perfect little towers, and organized by category: shirts, pants, underwear, and so on. She couldn't believe her sophomore year of college was coming to an end. She could remember walking through the halls of McKinley high school in her Cheerios uniform on the first day of high school like it was yesterday, but here she was, almost twenty years old. It behooved her that time could fly by so fast. Her mother would be arriving tomorrow, and she, Quinn, and Frannie would then be on a plane to Hawaii to spend their summer drinking fruit punch out of pineapple cups and getting tan at the beach. Quinn was excited, really. It had been forever since she'd been on a real vacation with her family- not since the divorce, actually. But she had been having such a great time at Yale, the year flew by so quickly. Quinn supposed she had Artie to thank for that. Her freshman year had drawn on because she didn't have many people there that she really connected to. But all of a sudden, Artie Abrams shows up out of the blew, and flips her world upside down.

She didn't expect to be as close to him as she ended up becoming. The first day of the year when he returned her DVD, Quinn thought she would see him around the Film department ever so often...she never thought they'd be pulling all-night study-sessions-slash-movie-parties in his dorm, or having lunch together almost every day, or making movies. But now that they were, Quinn could see herself doing that stuff for the rest of her life. Because all of her favorite moments throughout the day were with him. She knew Artie would be back next semester, but she'd definitely be going through withdrawals from his goofy smile in Hawaii.

As Quinn began packing her suitcase with her little towers of clothes, she heard a knock on her dorm room door. That would probably be Artie, coming for their last movie date (for lack of better term). Quinn took her suitcase, half-full of clothes, off of her bed, and opened her door, but it was just Kacie.

"...You look disappointed." her friend remarked.

Quickly, Quinn shook her head. "Uh, no. I was just expecting Artie, is all." she smiled. "Here to say goodbye?" she asked, as Kacie escorted herself into Quinn's dorm.

"No. I came to return this." she reached into her bag and pulled out Serendipity. "It was cute. Annoying, predictable, and mushy, but cute." Quinn chuckled. Classic Kacie, always the critic. She plucked the DVD from her friend's hand and gave a thank you.

"Now, about that Archie kid..." Kacie began. Without hesitation, Quinn corrected her.

"Artie."

"...Right. Anyways, he totally wants at your boobs. The entire drama department can tell." At this, Quinn was shocked. Kacie had always been blunt, but just the thought..."And you're not lookin' so innocent yourself." she gave Quinn a tight smirk before running a hand through her curls.

"We're just friends..." was all Quinn said, though she couldn't stop giggling. Kacie gave a passive-aggressive nod and held her arms open for a hug, which Quinn gratituously flung herself into.

"Next semester, we are doing Rocky Horror Show and we are going to kick ass. Alright, bitch?" Kacie said into Quinn's shoulder. Quinn laughed. Okay, so Artie wasn't her only friend after all. She hadn't had a friend since Santana Lopez who could pull off calling her "bitch" affectionately. She gave a nod, and squeezed Kacie tighter.

"...I must be interrupting something." Quinn heard from the doorway. She turned her attention to the open door, and saw Artie sitting there in his chair, with two bags of unpopped popcorn in his lap.

Kacie then turned away, and squeezed herself between him and the doorway to exit the room. "No, I was just leaving. Bye, Quinn. Bye, Artemis." she waved a carless hand in their direction, then disappeared down the hallway.

"...Okay, now she's just doin' it to screw with me." Artie smirked. Quinn gave a laugh, then pulled him by his hands into the room, closing the door behind them. She watched him look around the room that was now devoid of posters, and things in general. All her stuff was packed away. Even her bed was stripped. An entire year of college was packed up in her boxes, ready to be shipped to Ohio.

"So, what movie are we watching?" Artie asked, maneuvering himself onto her bed.

Quinn plopped beside him, her weight bouncing on the mattress. "Anything that doesn't involve palm trees or coconuts. I'm saving those for Hawaii."

With an exaggeratedly pained expression, Artie put a hand on his heart and squinched his eyes shut. "Ouch, Q. That one really hurt. Stop reminding me that I'll have to do without you for three months." At that, Quinn smiled. Good to know she wouldn't be the only one going through withdrawals.

After popping the popcorn and putting Serendipity into Quinn's laptop, the two of them contorted themselves on Quinn's twin bed, so that they could both watch the movie that brought them together on the screen. But throughout the movie, Artie kept tapping away on his stupid phone. Who could he be texting at a time like this?

Finally, Quinn pressed pause. Artie looked up from his phone, and raised an eyebrow, mentally asking her why she paused.

"Who are you texting?" she chuckled, making a grab for his phone. "If it's Puck, tell him we're watching a movie and that these are our final moments together before the summer vacation, and that if you don't get your Quinn-time, then you'll be going through withdrawals for three months." But for some reason, Quinn could tell it wasn't Puck. Artie shook his head, laughing.

"It's not Puck. Just...don't worry about it." he shrugged.

"Don't worry about it?" Quinn knit her eyebrows. "I'm sorry, I thought I was guaranteed at least two hours of your time today." she remarked, her comment snapping at Artie with bite.

"...Whoa, Q. Fine." Artie chuckled, a little awkwardly. He slowly put his phone back in his pocket, and held his hands up in surrender. "For the next forty minutes of this movie, I'm all yours." Quinn laughed, and nudged his shoulder, embarrassed of the way she acted...and now that he was being so sweet, she kind of felt like a bitch. She didn't know what came over her...Maybe it was Kacie, putting ideas into her head.

She put her head on Artie's shoulder, her blonde hair cascading onto his chest, and pressed play on the movie again.

"It's Sugar Motta." Artie confessed.

Quinn's face twisted into an expression of utter disgust. "_You still talk to Sugar Motta_?"

Artie gave a shrug. "Since I'm coming back to Lima for the summer, and she'll be graduating this year, I thought...why not?"

Quinn was still slightly confused. "I'm sorry...The girl who dated you because she felt sorry for you? The girl who dumped you for Rory Flanagan when she found out he was going back to Ireland? I mean, bless her heart, she's adorable, but Artie. You're selling yourself way too short right now." Quinn couldn't describe her feelings. She was confused, and angry, and...Was he really making the moves on Sugar Motta before he made the moves on her?

_...Oh, God, was she really thinking that?_

"You deserve so much better than a pretentious teenage girl whose daddy buys her whatever she wants." Quinn snapped. Artie raised his eyebrows, taken aback by her rant. She could tell that he noticed the inner monologue behind her words. Quinn bit her lip, and looked down. "Let's just watch the movie." she said quietly, reverting her attention to the computer screen. She didn't want to face Artie like this, while she didn't know how she felt, or how he felt about her feelings, which were clearly showing now.

Artie clasped her hand. "_So_ much better, huh?" he said softly, not directly addressing Quinn, more speaking aloud to himself.

Eye contact was something that always frightened Quinn. It was one of those things that once it happened, the rest of the world was a can of worms, and anything could happen. But this time, she mustered up the courage to raise her head and meet his eyes. His sapphire blue eyes...No, this stuff only happened in the movies. Best friends becoming more than friends, and then what? A fade to black happy ending?

Before she knew it, his hands were on her cheeks, and their faces were moving closer. Within millimeters of meeting, they paused. So many questions ran through Quinn's mind, and none of them made any sense. All she knew was that this was about to happen, and they were at the point of no return.

Their lips met, and once they pulled away, Quinn could still feel the tingle. Without hesitation, she pulled him in closer for another...and another...and another.

Most would say that this was where the romantic comedy would end- Fade to black, credits, maybe a blooper reel...But Quinn could feel in the pit of her stomach that this was just the beginning.


	4. The First Date

_"Our first date was a night I will never forget. Ever. As long as I live." _

"I'm sorry, Quinn, what? Please tell me you got knocked in the head with a few coconuts in Hawaii." The sassy voice of Santana Lopez blared from the other end of the phone. Quinn was on a four-way call with her best girlfriends, Santana, Brittany Pierce, and Mercedes Jones. The phone was on speaker, laying on her dorm room bed while Quinn sifted through clothes to wear to her date. Her first official date with Artie Abrams. Since their kiss in May, she'd hardly wanted to leave his side. However, the next morning she was on a plane to Hawaii for the summer, so that wasn't exactly doable. But now it was August and she was back at Yale, unpacking her things. They'd had this date planned for months, and Artie made her promise that she wouldn't try to see him before 7:00 pm that night, "So we won't spoil it, girl." Quinn giggled at the memory while her...Committee of Girlfriends squabbled over the other end.

"San, she said she kissed him. I've kissed Artie." Brittany said, ever-so innocently over the other end. Quinn couldn't help but chuckle, she was too blissed. Here she was, preparing for a date, and consulting her best friends. How...stereotypical. Quinn held a strapless floral sundress up to her body and examined it from all sides. That could work. The Committee was scattered all about the U.S. right now. Santana was going to pre-law in Boston, Mercedes was in Los Angeles working on an album, and Brittany was traveling as a Laker Girl. Compared to them, Quinn's student films and community theatre seemed almost inadequate.

"Well, I don't care what y'all say. I think you two are the most adorable people I know, and you deserve each other, girl." Mercedes quipped. Quinn, half-dressed, gave her a thank you as she shimmied her way into her dress.

She could almost hear Santana rolling her eyes in the backround. "Whatever. Just tell four-eyes that Auntie Snix says to be a nothing but a perfect gentleman to Quinnocence." Quinn gave a lighthearted laugh before examining herself in the mirror. The way the dress hit her hips, and cut right above her knees...Perfect. Good thing she'd known about this beforehand so she could go shopping in Hawaii. She slipped on a pair of nude ballet flats and a thin headband, which completed the look. A perfect first date look. Hopefully, a perfect first date. Quinn's luck with boys hadn't been so great in the past, but that was probably because she was hung up on the same types of guys- jocks, stereotypically "handsome". And yet, she found herself calling them "idiots" most of the time. She loved how different Artie was...and even if this relationship didn't work out, she was glad to have him in her life.

Quinn had to admit how weird it had been since the kiss. It was actually quite awkward for a few weeks. How does one go from drawing on their best friend's face while they were asleep to passionately kissing them on the last day of school? It was scary. What if they didn't work out, and it totally diminishes their friendship? With this thought, Quinn took a deep breath. It was a risk, but one she was willing to take.

"Will do,_ Auntie Snix_." she teased. "Alright, I'm gonna go. Wish me luck, guys?" she pleaded, hovering her index finger over the End button.

"Bye, Quinn!"

"Have fun, girl!"

"It's not too late to dig up Puckerman, you know."

The last one was clearly Santana. Quinn pressed the End button, and as always, Artie was just in the nick of time. She grabbed her purse and added all the necessities- lipgloss, phone, makeup, gum...The butterflies in her stomach were both unbearable and exciting at the same time. When she opened the door, Artie was sitting there with a rose in his lap and a grin on his face.

"Hello, beautiful." Artie held the rose out to her. Quinn smiled and took it, their fingers brushing for a split second.

"Hey, handsome." she retorted, bringing the rose up to her face to take in its scent. This was the first time they'd seen each other in months, and Quinn could tell Artie had gone through some changes- a new haircut, for one, and he was in a deep blue dress shirt and slacks. Quinn didn't want to seem like she was staring, but he just looked so nice. Quinn grabbed him by the collar and smirked. "You look awfully...dapper." she remarked, trying to play it flirty and cool at the same time. Artie gave a playful shrug.  
>"Gotta dress to impress m'lady, right?" he smirked. Quinn laughed, still holding onto his collar, and their faces slowly inched within kissing distance. They stopped, and Artie gave an audible gulp. "...Hop on." he patted his lap, gesturing for Quinn to take a seat. She did so, cheerily.<p>

"So where are we headed?" she asked as he began to roll the two of them down the hallway.

"Dinner and a movie." Artie said. Quinn gave a sigh. So classic. She was glad that on this summer evening, the two wouldn't be going throughout a scavenger hunt across the Yale campus or jumping out of airplanes. That wouldn't be until they were at least on their fourth date. As they rolled out of the building, down the ramps, and outside, they began to catch up as if texting every day for an entire summer hadn't been enough. Because, truthfully, it wasn't. Especially when they were separated on the terms that they were. Throughout the entire time in Hawaii, Quinn couldn't focus on one attractive Islander, because her adorable Ohio nerd was back in Lima. She had replayed their kiss maybe a million times in her head. The way their lips met, the way he cupped her cheek...It was all too perfect. What she really worried, though, was that the next kiss wouldn't be as amazing.

"Well, Lima was boring as Hell." Artie commented. "I caught up with some old friends, I got to see McKinley...It was chill, but boring." Quinn gave a nod and rested her head on his shoulder. She could feel his bicep contract on her back as he wheeled them outdoors. Where was he taking her? To the parking lot? Oh, boy, now she felt bad for making him push twice his weigh halfway across campus. But then she saw it...He had set up a screen made out of bedsheets and a projector in the open grassy field of the campus. On the ground were blankets piled atop each other, creating the perfect cushioned picnic setting for watching a movie. And to top it all off? One huge bowl filled to the brim with popcorn. She could totally have popcorn for dinner if she could, and Artie knew that. She'd told him one night, while she was talking to him in the bathroom of her suite, hiding from Frannie and Judy who wanted to go to a Luau. She'd said, "I really don't feel like going to a Luau. I just want to stay here and watch a movie and eat gallons of popcorn. I could eat popcorn for every major meal of the day."

And he remembered.

Quinn hopped off of his lap, her jaw dropped in permanent awe. She made her way to the scene, not being able to stop shaking her head out of sheer amazement. "You're too amazing." she breathed. Artie gave yet another playful shrug. "No. Really." Quinn persisted, running back up to him and grabbing him by the hands. "You really are." She wanted to kiss him right then and there, but he changed the subject once more.

"Well, then let's get to it, woman!" he exclaimed. "The movies are next to the projector. Ladies' choice."

Quinn eagerly ran over to the projector and sorted through his box of DVDs. They were all old time romance-slash-action films. A lot of Hitchcock, and a few more recent ones. She then pulled out Casablanca, and felt that it had the right feeling that she wanted to add to the atmosphere. It was such a classic romance film, and it had always been a dream of hers to sit and enjoy it with someone who appreciated old films. While Artie situated himself onto the blanket, Quinn put the DVD into the portable player that was rigged up to the projector.

"How is the campus letting you do this?" she whisper-shouted to Artie, above the theme music of the film. He raised his eyebrows and shook his head.

"I pulled a few strings. Let's just say that the administration believes in true romance." Quinn laughed. She looked all around the campus, which looked completely different in this light. The dark of the night time was illuminated by the flicker of the projector, all the while the black and white of the film keeping it serene.

The movie went on, and Quinn had her head propped up against Artie's shoulder. She reached her hand into the bowl of popcorn, only to find his hand already there. Artie, feeling the touch, pulled out a piece of popcorn and turned to Quinn.

"Open up." he directed. Quinn gave him a look that said, 'Are you serious?" He laughed at her expression, but simply repeated himself. "Open...up." Quinn did as she was told, opening her mouth wide, and feeling like an idiot.

He leaned back, aimed, and tossed the entire handful of popcorn at her face. Quinn caught a few kernels in her mouth, but was pelted everywhere else. "Hey!" she exclaimed. Artie erupted into laughter. Shaking her head, Quinn grabbed a handful of popcorn herself and tossed it his direction. This meant war. The two were engaged in all-out snackfood warfare. Complete with rolling, tossing, grabbing, wrestling...

Quinn's belly ached from so much laughing. The blanket was covered in remnants of popcorn, mostly smashed kernels and crumbs. The smell of butter filled the air, and her hands were sticky with salt. Artie sat across from her, wiping the butter from his glasses on his nice dress shirt. She figured her floral dress wasn't so pretty anymore either. Not one to back down, Quinn leaned in close to the boy, batting her eyelashes and smirking. He leaned into her, but within seconds of making contact, she pelted him in the face with the final handful of popcorn.

Artie then clutched her by the wrist with a laugh, and wrestled her to the ground. Before hitting the blanket, their lips met, and Quinn felt an even bigger spark than before. The kiss was passionate, in the perfect setting, on top of crunchy popcorn. Every time she shifted her weight, the kernels beneath her made a crackling noise.

The night went on, and rather than taking Quinn back to her dorm at the end of Casablanca, the two simply kept popping in movie after movie, keeping themselves together for as long as possible. They weren't sure how long they stayed awake, or what time they fell asleep, but they fell asleep beneath the stars, on a pile of blankets, with an old black-and-white movie playing in front of them.


	5. A Many Splendored Thing

_"Our first 'I love you's? Sweet. Weird, but sweet."_

Artie rolled out of his dorm room, anxious. It was strange not holding a flower or some sort of gift for Quinn. The two had been dating for six months, now, and he'd planned every one of their dates…until now. She made him promise that she'd get to plan the six-month anniversary date. Of course, that still meant he could bring her gifts, but she insisted against it. The February chill nipped at his fingers, and if he could feel his toes he was sure he'd feel it there, too. Quinn had said to meet her in the parking lot. He still didn't know where they were going, but he knew that Q was probably going to keep it that way until they got there. However, his mind couldn't help but wonder…

Knowing Q, she loved being outdoors, even on a chill February day like this. If it were up to her, they'd probably be having their first time on a picnic blanket, under the stars…possibly in the rain. Though, Artie tried to keep his distance from thoughts like that. Knowing Quinn's past with sex, he was not trying to push that notion at the moment. It was hard for him to picture himself being more experienced than her, but she guaranteed him it was true. Not since high school had she done the deed…And while that was true for Artie, he once dated Brittany Pierce- and girl was _ridiculous_. But he hoped that he and Quinn could get to that point in their relationship without screwing things up. The last six months were some of the best he'd had.

When he rolled into the student parking lot, Artie beamed at his beautiful girlfriend. She stood there, bundled up in her sweater and jeans, her beanie making her look absolutely cozy. But Artie couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of her rosy cheeks….she looked adorable, cute as a button, definitely not the way she had been viewed in high school. She was beaming back at him- why? Artie knew Q could get any other guy on campus…..he saw the way guys looked at her….why was she beaming at him?

Nonetheless, her green eyes lit up when she saw him. Like stars.

"Hey, girl." Artie exclaimed. "You look cold." He observed her shaky legs, and her fists balled up next to her mouth.

"Oh, no." she shook her head. "This is perfect weather! Are you kidding?" The comments were dripping with sarcasm. Artie uttered a laugh, loving her sense of humor. Taking her hands in his, Artie kissed her- and made sure it was the kind of kiss that would definitely warm her up, at least for a few seconds. Quinn smiled against his lips, then gave a look, as if she'd just remembered something.

"Crap." she muttered to herself, "I forgot my purse by the courtyard. I'll be right back." She made a move to jog back, but Artie pulled her back into his grip and placed yet another kiss on her lips. He felt her throat give off a laugh before they parted, and Quinn had gone back. Artie rolled over to Quinn's car, the green Volkswagen she had in high school. He always thought it looked like a bit of a clown car. The thing barely had room in the trunk for his chair, but he made it work when he had to.

Artie situated himself into the passenger seat and placed his wheelchair in the trunk. Quinn had once told him that his arms were strong…and now that he had that in his mind, he couldn't seem to get it out. All his life he was the scrawny boy, but that made him open his eyes to the biceps he had, and had never really noticed. She had told him that she loved hugging him, because his arms were strong and made her feel safe. His glasses nearly fogged up at that, he was so flattered. He could hold her all day….really, he could.

Quinn returned to the car and got herself into the drivers' seat, keys jangling from her hand.

"So…will you be telling me where we're going?" Artie thought he could at least try to get it out of her. But all Quinn did was give a snarky chuckle.

"You'd think after what…eight years…you'd know me by now." she remarked, pulling out of the parking lot. Artie just laughed. It was worth a shot, right?

He shrugged, "I dunno, I thought I'd try." He eyed Quinn, not wanting to look away while she was intent on the road, and noticed a twinge in her eye.

"Oh! Right." She leaned back, reaching her arm backward and pulled something from the backseat. "In fact, put this on." She tossed him a piece of black fabric, which landed on his lap. Artie picked it up to discover that it was one of those covers that women put over their eyes when they're trying to sleep.

He couldn't resist. "Kinky." he commented, taking off his glasses and putting the sleep mask over his eyes. Damn, he thought to himself, "And I was having such a nice time staring at'cho gorgeous face." He imagined the way her face looked while she laughed at that, since he knew the face well by now.

"You're awful." she chuckled.

The two of them rode for about a half-hour until he felt the car begin to slow down. The ground beneath then was gravelly, he could tell by the way the car shook under his feet. It soon slowed to a stop, and Artie wondered if he could take off his blindfold now.

But just as he thought that, he felt Quinn's hand on his cheek, reaching over and pulling the blindfold off. Artie blinked a few times, reached for his glasses in his lap, and pulled them on. Blinking a few more times, he observed. The scene before them was beautiful. A lake, surrounded by grass, with ducks floating around in it. It was February. He wouldn't have imagined ducks to be in town at this time of year.

"We're catching them right before migration." Quinn said, as if she could read his mind. Artie was surprised that the lake wasn't like, frozen over by now. Mother nature must have known it was their six-month anniversary, and decided to throw them a bone.

Quinn rested a hand on the back of his neck affectionately. "Frozen picnic on the grass?" He could hear her smirking, before turning his head to kiss her on the jaw.

"Of course, m'lady. I wouldn't want it any other way." And it was true. This last half a year with Quinn was the most fun, spontaneous time of his life. And something just seemed right about them celebrating snuggling up on the grass, tossing bread to ducklings.

She returned the kiss to his lips, then proceeded to open the car door and go to the trunk. Artie watched her unload the trunk out of the rear-view mirror. He couldn't help but stare…lately, he'd felt closer to her than ever before. The kind of attachment that he'd never felt. When he dated Tina Cohen-Chang, they'd been best friends before, so it was nothing really too special. When he datedBrittany Pierce, he felt more protective over her…Now here he was, staring at Quinn Fabray through the rear-view mirror of her car…and the feeling was indescribable.

Quinn noticed him staring and blew a kiss his way, letting him know. Artie looked away, completely unbashed by getting caught. Let her know he was staring. There was no use hiding it anymore. She was the most beautiful girl in the world to him, and deserved to know that.

"Honestly," Quinn began as she rolled his chair toward the passenger seat. ",I was hoping it would be warmer than this today. I mean, I've always wanted to feed ducklings at a picnic, but you always plan the dates. And who knows how long you'll put up with me? So I had to seize this opportunity." That caught Artie off-guard. Did she dare question his attraction to her?

"Baby," he began, asserting himself. "The real question is, how long will you put up with me? I mean…I'd put up with you for forever and a day if I thought I deserved it." he smirked, getting into his chair. Quinn's lips came down onto his cheek, then further down to his neck. It was official- Artie Abrams was a master of flattery. His entire body tingled as Quinn moved her lips back up to his cheek, then finally, his mouth. By now, Artie was flustered…red-cheeked, he just knew it, and his glasses were even a little fogged up. But that was no surprise- Quinn loved to fog up his glasses.

Quinn then leaned in to whisper into his ear, "Trust me. You definitely deserve it." There was a part of him that truly believed that. Since dating Quinn, his insecurities had lessened and lessened. Sure, he still had his moments, like he'd had in the parking lot, but overall, he was a pretty confident dude. And he was almost certain he had Quinn to thank for that.

After shutting the car door, Quinn proceeded to roll Artie down toward the lake. She handed him the red gingham-patterned picnic blanket, plus four more extra blankets because of the weather, and by the time it was spread onto the ground, Quinn was sitting on it, shivering, and bundling herself up. Artie laughed at her swiftness and maneuvered himself out of his chair to cuddle up to his woman. Besides, she had all the extra warmth.

The two spent the next half hour eating turkey sandwiches and throwing bread out into the pond for the ducks. One duck, a white one with a yellow bill, ate up everything they tossed out.

"He likes us." Quinn commented as she tossed out a pinch of bread. Artie laughed.

"Think we should name him?" he asked, partly joking. But…what does one name a duck?

"Would naming him Donald be unoriginal?" Quinn asked, pinching a piece of bread for herself.

Artie couldn't help but laugh. "Funny, 'cause I was thinking Daffy."

"Donald-Daffy Fabray-Abrams." Quinn managed to get out through chuckles. Artie laughed with her, and the two were soon in a fit of laughter on top of their blankets. This got Artie to thinking….if they lasted longer than this….If she didn't realize she could be with any guy in the world, what would they name their kids? Artie always liked names with swag, like Tripp or something. But Quinn was old school. A classic….she'd never go for that. Well, before kids they'd probably have to get married, wouldn't they? The thought became all too real. Quinn, beautiful in white, walking down the aisle with a bouquet in her hand…Artie couldn't help but grin like an idiot at the thought. The idea was simply laughable right now, since they'd only been dating for six months, but they'd known each other for eight years. He'd seen Quinn at her most vulnerable. That had to affect their relationship somehow.

They hadn't even exchanged "I Love You"s yet. Artie knew they were taking it slow, and didn't mind that. But the wait was killing him. Who would be the first to say it?

As the day got later, the weather warmed up, and the two only needed a few blankets to keep them comfortable. They silently agreed to take a nap before heading back out on the road. Artie was awaken from his slumber by the vibration of his cell phone in his front pocket. Quinn's head laid on Artie's chest, her breathing heavy, and he had to whisper in order not to wake her. She looked so peaceful. Artie checked the name on his Caller ID. It was his mother.

"Hey, ma. Can I call you back?" he murmured. On the other end, his mother chuckled.

"You don't want to talk to your own mother, Arthur?"

Artie sighed, with a smile. "Make it quick. I'm with Q. She's sleeping." He could just see the skeptic look on his mother's face. A smirk, a raised eyebrow…"Oh God, ma. Not like that." he laughed, trying to control the movements of his chest so not to wake his sleeping beauty.

"Hey, I'm not assuming anything. How are you guys, by the way?"

Pursing his lips, Artie gave a shrug, though he knew his mother couldn't see it. "We're great. We're feeding ducks at the pond right now…I dunno, ma…" He decided he might as well pour his heart out to the one consistent woman in his life, "…she's so great. And she really likes me. And…well, I think I love her too." Gail Abrams was a sap. He knew she was probably spasming from cuteness right now.

"Well, remind me to book The Plaza for the wedding." she said, and he could tell she was trying to sound nonchalant, and less overjoyed that her son had really found someone.

"Will do, mama." Just then, Artie could feel Quinn's weight shift on his chest, "I've gotta go, alright? It's a long drive back to Yale." He pressed the END button on his phone while Quinn's limbs stretched beneath the blanket.

Her eyes fluttered open. "Mmmmm, were you on the phone?" she said through a yawn. Artie gave a nod.

"Yeah, but it was nothing. You ready to head out? If we leave now, we can make it back by around seven." he said, stretching himself. Quinn smiled, kissed his cheek, and stood, collecting the food, blankets, and things they'd cluttered up through the course of the afternoon. Artie sat himself down in his chair and decided to help Quinn fold up the blanket they'd been sitting on, doing the whole "You grab this end, I'll grab this end" thing. As they folded the red gingham blanket, Quinn gave a smirk and a chuckle. The ever-mysterious inner thoughts of Quinn Fabray…baffling boyfriends for years.

"By the way," she began, "I love you too." Artie was speechless. The sneaky girl…pretending to be asleep during the phone call. He tried to respond, but all he could do was blush and chuckle.


	6. The First Time Part 1

Lighting the last candle, Artie finally blew out his match. He had been careful not to burn his fingers, because, well...he'd have to use those tonight. At least, he planned to. Artie rolled himself backward, taking in the setting. He and Quinn were both too poor to afford a night in a hotel room, and his roommate would conveniently be "out of town" the night of their one-year anniversary. Well, if you could have an anniversary when you were dating. Artie promised himself that one day, when they were both rich and famous, they could go anywhere at any time. But for now, they'd have to settle with his candlelit dorm room.

As long as the dorm advisor didn't find out.

They'd had this planned for a few weeks now, but things kept getting in the way. Quinn was called in to do a show for the actress she understudied in a play, Artie's roommate was always there...They just couldn't seem to get any time to themselves. But now, today, it was all Quinn and Artie. Q&A. And Artie couldn't seem to get the butterflies out of his stomach.

Mostly for what would be happening within the next half-hour, but also partly because he had some important news for her. He figured it would be the best way to set the mood. Artie was then snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a light knock on his door. He checked the lights, making sure he had the perfect atmosphere for his lady. He rolled over to the door, but hesitated. He'd spent all this time making sure the room looked okay, but what about him? He was what really mattered. Quickly, Artie turned to the mirror and tussled his hair. He'd kept himself neat rather than gone the "sex god" route with the ubuttoned shirts and messy hair because he knew Quinn liked his suspenders. Snapping them, using them to pull him to her, etc. Though, of course, he supposed he didn't need a shirt for suspenders...

Another sharp knock, and Artie opened the door. There Quinn stood, looking beautiful as ever. Her blonde bob was perfectly messy and her sundress looked the kind of sexy-classy-casual that Quinn was famous for. Artie was breathless, but mostly because he was taken aback by the fact that this was actually happening.

"Hey, stranger." Quinn smirked._ That smirk._

"Well, if we're strangers, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever met. Nice to meet you, I'm Arthur Abrams." he tried to challenge her smirk with one of his own, but knew he wouldn't be able to pull it off the way she could. Quinn chuckled as she walked inside, playing along. Artie shut the door behind her.

She held a small coin purse over her shoulder, and pulled it off before taking a seat on Artie's lap.

"I'm sorry to tell you, Mr. Abrams, but I have a boyfriend. And he's cute," she began to trail an index finger over the back of Artie's hand, moving her mouth close to his ear, and playing with the sleeve of his shirt. ",and sexy, and a bit of a nerd, but..." she giggled,"...he's perfect. And all mine. _All all mine_." Quinn began kissing his jaw, moving down to his neck. Artie gulped as her playfulness fogged his mind. Why wouldn't they be able to dive right into it? Oh, right...he had news. Carefully, Artie took Quinn by the waist and gently nudged her away, earning an inquisitive eyebrow raise from the girl. Oh, that eyebrow.

"Wait." he chuckled at the impatient Quinn, "I have something to show you first." The eyebrow raised even higher. He shifted her body so that she was facing forward on his lap. Artie then rolled her toward the desk where his laptop sat, on the other side of the room. He reached his arms around her waist and pulled up the email. "Read it." he said nonchalantly.

He watched as Quinn propped her chin up on the palm of her hand before she began to read. "Sender...Andrew Lippa..." she turned backward to him, confused, "Where have I heard that name before?" Artie just gestured for her to keep reading. "Dear Mr. Abrams, I am glad to inform to you that I attended the Toronto Film Festival where I saw one of your films, The Prom Queen Massacre. You are truly a_ talent behind the camera_," Quinn turned and gave him a wide-eyed grin. But still, Artie persisted that she went on. If she kept looking at him that way, it would make it hard for him to wait for all of this to be over with. ",and I would like to formally propose to you to, to ask if you would do me the honor of becoming the_ co-director_ of the _film adaptation_ of my off-Broadway musical, The Wild Party." Quinn gave a gasp. She had starred in a production of that last semester, as Queenie. The cast had always joked around, singing 'Quinnie was a blonde'.

"Oh my God, Artie, that's fantastic!" she beamed, giving him a large kiss on the lips. She pulled back, laughing._ Oh, just wait..._Artie thought.

"That's not it," he chuckled at her enthusiasm. "I called up Mr. Lippa and he also saw you in Prom Queen, and well...I may have sent him footage of you in the show last year. He wants fresh newcomers and well..." The look on Quinn's face was in disbelief. She was mentally asking him, "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" "...Hello, Queenie." Quinn then stood off of his lap, pacing the floor of the room.

"_I'm going to be in a movie._" she stated, running a hand through her wavy tresses. "A_ big-budget_ Hollywood film. As the star. Co-directed by you." she was just making sure, and Artie found it adorable. She was fangirling. Artie nodded, validating her statements. "When is this going to be? Where?" she asked, still in disbelief.

Artie gave a chuckle. "Next summer. After graduation. Los Angeles, California." Quinn shook her head, in disbelief, then was officially unable to contain herself. She nearly jumped for joy. He'd never seen her so happy. Artie carefully maneuvered himself onto the bed, hands at his sides. As long as she was doing this, he may as well be comfortable.

"We're going to LA!" she shouted, putting both hands at the sides of her head. Then, as if with a sudden realization, her demeanor calmed. And she was back to the demure, sexy Quinn she'd been less than five minutes ago. Still beaming, Quinn took her steps toward Artie, and then with a swiftness, stradled his lap, her knees on either side of his thighs. Their faces were millimeters apart, and Quinn held his suspenders in her hands, pulling him even closer, to the point where their faces were nearly touching. "_We're going to LA._" she said again. Artie relished the seductive tone of her voice. He hadn't ever seen her so happy. And he was happy he could've been the one to do it. More than happy...honored. Their lips met in a heated passion, her hand cradling his neck. He ran a hand through her hair. He really could not believe this was actually happening...it was really happening.


	7. The First Time Part 2

Here Quinn sat, her knees on either side of her lovely boyfriend's waist, their bodies so close. She knew this would have been happening soon, and she even knew it would be tonight. But…that didn't stop her from being _terrified_. Before coming over to his dorm, she'd tried on possibly a million combinations of underwear, showered _twice_, curled her hair…then straightened it…then curled it again. And by the time she showed up to his door, her curls had fallen.

When she was all over him before, she'd figured she may as well jump right into it. Quinn was no virgin. In fact, she'd given birth…but there was just something about it this time. When she was with Puck for that one night, she knew it would only be one night and that was it. But she was sitting here with Artie, their lips moving together ever-so naturally, on their _one-year anniversary._ That was a huge feat for her. And then there was the whole…giving yourself to one person sort of thing.

Quinn tried not to think about it, but she couldn't just…it was embarrassing, being so vulnerable in front of anyone. But over the last twelve months, she'd had a relationship with Artie that she'd never had with anyone. It was full of laughs and watching movies and sleeping under the stars. Artie gave her sweet kisses and warm, loving hugs and complete and utter_ love_. Quinn had never felt this way with anyone. She was ready…she knew it. She just needed one final push.

Artie's hand slowly grazed her thigh, moving upward, upward, upward toward her waist…Quinn could feel her skin prickle all over. Goosebumps, everywhere. Her breath began to quicken. She could feel herself subconsciously trying to resist, but she knew for a fact that she wanted this so badly. She just had to relax.

His index finger nimbly traced circles into her thigh. Quinn gave a shuddering breath before pulling away from his mouth. She wanted to stare at him and remind herself that this was the boy…no, not boy…_man_ she was in love with. She took one look at his sapphire blue eyes, and instantly felt relieved. Yes. She was sure, now. Positive. Excited, actually._ Eager._

Quinn shut her eyes once more, pressing their lips together. Harder this time, more adventurous. This earned an approving moan from Artie, who now had one hand on her lower back and one running up and down her hip. Quinn clutched his sexy, nerdy suspenders and lifted them individually off of his shoulders. Something about suspenders…probably all that she could do with them…really got her going. She now felt welcome to explore his torso.

She could feel Artie's lips moving away from her own, downward, as he began kissing her neck. Quinn gave another shuddering breath. He kissed her neck, nibbled at it. Quinn's grip on Artie's shirt tightened, unable to keep her composure. She felt her cheeks flushing, and her body begin to get pretty heated itself. Their lips met once more, and Quinn slowly moved a hand down, past his chest, his abs...she wondered what would happen if she dared go lower. Quinn hesitantly dropped her hand down to the crotch of his pants, earning a surprised, yet pleasant, gasp from the boy, followed by a moan.

In a cloud of passion, Quinn closed her eyes. By the time she opened them, the two were both partially undressed. She'd even unzipped his pants. Using his elbows, Artie pushed the two of them toward the headboard...because holy moly, this was actually happening. He unclipped Quinn's bra, releasing her B-cups. She tossed it to the floor, now only in her underwear, and helped Artie pull his slacks down the length of his legs.

Their bare chests were pressed together. She could feel his heart beating next to hers. They were both pulsing rapidly, in time with their shuddering, uneven breaths. Their hands and lips explored each other. Quinn felt the soft, sweet kisses as Artie's lips moved down her neck toward her breasts. He placed the kisses on top of the swell of her chest, his hands feeling her every inch.

Speak of feeling every inch...Quinn felt him through his boxer-briefs, but she didn't dare look down, afraid she'd be intimidated. Instead, Quinn began rocking back and forth over it, only feeding the aching between her legs. The friction of the two pieces of fabric rubbing together was clearly doing something to Artie, too, for he tossed his head back and bit his lip. Quinn's lips buzzed with wanting. You know how they say "Idle hands are the devil's play things?" Well, Quinn could only imagine what they would say about idle lips. She nuzzled her head in the crook of his neck, kissing down his shoulder.

The heat, spawning from her core, travelled throughout Quinn's body. She couldn't believe the two of them were still even partially clothed. Artie's breaths were shallow, and she could feel him getting more and more aroused. Quinn tugged at the elastic of his boxers, and pulled them down, maintaining contact with his sparkling sapphires of eyes. Now there was only a thin sliver of fabric between the two of them. Their hearts beat in time, their eyes connected, their lips millimeters apart. Quinn watched as Artie reached beneath his pillow and pulled out a condom, rolling it onto himself. Quinn inhaled, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Artie maneuvered her out of her panties. Quinn gulped, and she could feel his trembling hands on either side of her hips. She slowly spread her legs wider, lowering herself onto him. With a sharp intake of breath, Quinn felt herself fit to him, tightening around him. Once again, she began rocking back and forth over his lap, feeling their two hearts pounding against each other. The sensation sent prickles up her spine, intensifying the quivering of her fingers. She moved trembling hands up into Artie's hair, grasping it into her palms. As she looked him in the eyes once more, she noticed that the lenses of his glasses were fogged up. As always, that meant she was doing something right.

The two of them exchanged moans as Quinn's hips rocked over Artie's crotch. Involuntarily, Quinn increased the speed of her rocking, feeling every inch of herself get closer. Her skin had a faint mist of sweat over it, now, and so did Artie's. And despite the fact that she could feel him heading over the edge, he persisted to kiss her all over. Neck, shoulders, breasts...Quinn tried her best to reciprocate, but her mind was being fogged with the sensation. With every motion of her hips, she tightened around him. One hand clutched his shoulder for dear life while the other clutched the bed sheets. Artie's hands rested on her hips, guiding her to different angles, increasing the feeling- that _wonderful, wonderful_ feeling- for the both of them.

Quinn felt his hand slowly maneuver around her waist, and down her stomach, toward her core. He kept four fingers resting on her thigh , but held his thumb out, stroking her clit. Upon feeling the touch, Quinn was taken aback. No one had ever really _touched_ her there before. Let alone do what Artie was doing to it.

She couldn't help but let out a soft _"Ah."_ She had to stop rocking for a second to compose herself. But when Artie began to pull his hand away, she placed her hand over his, mentally _begging_ him to stay there. He did, and Quinn then picked up the speed of her rocking. With his hands beneath her and his lips doing the unholiest of things to her neck, Quinn could feel herself getting awfully close. _Very_ awfully close.

The muscles in her legs tensed up, causing her to clench her thighs around Artie's waist. Quinn felt Artie's arms tense up too, the contraction of his bicep visible. Almost unexpectedly, Quinn's eyes fluttered shut as she died a million tiny deaths in his arms. Her body shook, convulsed, contracted, and yet she felt liberated- free. Her mind was up in the clouds, and she could barely tell up from down. It even took her a few seconds to realize just how loud she'd been moaning and gasping. Artie had let out a few grunts as he convulsed beneath her. When she'd finally somewhat regained composure, Quinn slowly brought the both of them down from their high by rocking her hips progressively slower. Her entire body quivered before she went limp, exhausted.

Quinn sat there on Artie's lap, her head nuzzled in the crook of his neck, gathering her thoughts. She hid her face from him, not wanting him to see her so vulnerable. Flushed cheeks, messy hair, smudged lipgloss...His hands slowly traced circles on her bare back and his chest heaved beneath hers. Quinn could stay there all night, in the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent, counting his freckles. A part of her wanted to look around the room, take in the atmosphere, because in a week's time, all of the stuff in that room would be packed up. Yet another school year at Yale complete, and completed in the best way possible.

And in a year from now, they'd be on a plane to LA, about to film a movie. She wondered when he'd notice that he hadn't entered their film into the Toronto Film Festival, and that she had. Of course, though, she hadn't expected someone like Andrew Lippa to ever see it.

Quinn could see their entire future flash before her eyes in this very moment, as she shielded her face from the boy she was in love with. It sounded silly, didn't it? Being insecure around the love of your life. Artie took a hand and took Quinn by the chin, forcing her to reveal herself to him. With his thumb, he wiped away some of her smeared lipgloss before brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You have never looked so damn beautiful." he commented with a slight smirk. Quinn cupped his cheek, and placed the tenderest, sweetest of kisses on his lips.

"I could say the same about you." she sighed, taking her spot back in the nape of his neck. The candles flickered in her vision. She honestly could have stayed there forever.


	8. The LA Complex

_"We never realized how how hard it would be to balance our jobs and our lives, but just like every other couple that was meant to be, we pulled through..."_

Quinn rolled over onto her side, her face meeting Artie's bare shoulder. She kissed it all the way up to his neck, waking her precious sleeping boyfriend up. A month ago, they'd thrown their graduation caps into the air, and less than a week after that boarded a plane to Los Angeles. The entire cast of the film stayed in the closest Mariott to the set. Everyone had been so fantastic and talented and fresh and new, Quinn didn't even feel at all out of place.

The only thing that was slightly discomforting about this experience was that she and Artie had mutually decided to conceal their relationship from the rest of the cast. She never knew how hard it would make things. She knew that half of the actresses...well, more like half of the _extras_ had been schmoozing up to Artie. Quinn liked to believe she'd had the jealous bone in her body removed after her high school relationship with Finn Hudson, but as it turns out, she was wrong. And Artie had been so busy being Andrew Lippa's adorable little apprentice, he hardly noticed Carter Mason, her costar, mercilessly flirting with her. It was insanely frustrating, and she constantly found herself craving Artie's attention when he was engulfed in his work. Sometimes, his eyes lit up when he was directing, and she would catch herself thinking,_ 'He should be looking at me that way.'_

But right here, right now, they were all each other's, and she was fine with that. Having snuck into his hotel room late the night before, Quinn and Artie had their first night as a real, in love couple in a month. The past few weeks had been spent sharing secret makeout sessions in cramped janitor's closets that could barely hold the wheelchair, let alone the two of them. But the night before made up for everything. As Quinn stretched into the morning sun, she realized just how much...fun...they'd had that night. Her inner thighs were sore.

"Mmmm..." Artie said to the feeling of her lips on his shoulder. "I've missed that." he commented as Quinn wrapped an arm around his torso, moving her palm up and down his chest. She nibbled his ear playfully. Early-morning flirtation was a favorite of hers. "You know what else I've missed that I just didn't get _enough_ of last night?" He turned and met Quinn's lips. She could feel his hand move up her waist, and she really wanted to, but decided to stop him.

Quinn gave a playful head shake. "Nuh-uh-uh." she teased in a sing-song. "Not until I've had my coffee." Artie gave a mocking pout, but sent her on her way.

"Gimme a cup, too, please." he yawned as he stretched his arms behind his head. Quinn swung her legs around the edge of the bed, feeling the sun shine through the window on her bare body. She eyed the floor only for her eye to be met by a large amount of clothes strewn across the carpet. She fished for Artie's white button-down.

"Psh. Clothes are overrated." commented her love, teasing her from the other side of the bed. Quinn maneuvered her arms into the sleeves of his shirt with a smirk.

"Soon." she teased, leaning across the bed and placed another kiss on his lips. "Soon."

As Quinn sauntered into the living room of Artie's hotel suite, she nearly skipped on air. She hadn't felt so engulfed in love and passion in a month- all she wanted to do was stay in bed with Artie, kissing, embracing, feeling each other...all day.

Quinn began to turn the corner into the kitchen area, but her eye was caught by a pair of socked feet dangling from the side of the suite's sofa. She gave a yelp.

"Everything alright in there, sweetness?" she heard from the bedroom. Before she could answer that no, it was not alright, the body on the sofa sprung up. It was Carter. Ugh. Quinn jumped and turned herself away from him, hurriedly buttoning up Artie's dress shirt over her bare body. He looked around the room in a daze, squinting at her.

"Q? Am I in the right hotel room?" he looked around._ Artie is the only person who calls me Q, you bastard._ she spit in her mind. But on the outside, she was as composed as possible.

"Uh, no, this is Art-" she stopped herself, before sounding too familiar with the man who_ was not_ her boyfriend in LA, but her assistant director. "...Mr. Abrams' room. I'm here because he was helping me run lines last night." The quick cover-up made Quinn feel more at ease with the situation, despite the fact that this man that had been flirting with her for over a month was seeing her nearly naked. "Why are you here and how are you here?" she asked, trying to sound more concerned and less angry.

Carter scratched his head and gave a stretch. "I lost the key to my place and Artie told me where he kept his spare. So I welcomed myself in. I was...really smashed last night, though, so I guess I just crashed."

Quinn could feel her hands ball up into frustrated fists. She thought that _she_ was the only person he told about his spare room key. While she was totally faithful in the fact that he probably only gave it to Carter because they were "bros" or whatever, it still was the last straw. Having to _share_ her boyfriend with an entire cast of people was not a good feeling. Going into this, the thought of having a secret relationship with him to maintain the business quality of their work was exciting and fun. But now? She really just wanted to go back to Yale and snuggle up in his dorm room and not have to worry about Los Angeles or whether or not they were going to find a place together after this movie...

She couldn't even spend twelve hours alone with her boyfriend without interruption.

But perhaps, Quinn thought, that wasn't why she was angry. The past four weeks, they'd barely had any interaction...And while Artie was busy, she felt a little neglected. Not only as a girlfriend, but...she realized that she didn't want to be just the actress to his director. Either she had him fully or she didn't want him at all.

And she wanted him all the time.

"_Oh._" she said through a tight smile, willing herself not to lose her cool.

Carter made his way over to Quinn, a smirk on his face. Quinn tightened her eyes. If she lost control and slapped him in the face right now, it would surely get back to Mr. Lippa and...she didn't want to complicate her first big movie role.

As he progressed toward her, his smirk became even more bothersome to Quinn. "Well, maybe if Mr. Director is asleep, you can go help me look for my room key and w-" Quinn had her bare foot lifted off of the carpet to place a kick promptly in the seat of his pants. But like a gift from the heavens, Artie rolled into the room with a huge smile on his face. It bothered her how happy and easy-going he looked right now.

"Ay, Carter." Artie held out a hand and Carter, sloppy and unshaven and disgusting-looking, shook it. "Couldn't find your room key?"

Carter shook his head, greasy hair flopping about his face. "No, dude. I hope you don't mind that I crashed."

Artie shrugged. "Hey. My suite is your suite, alright bud? Now Q here needs to get dressed. I was just about to leave her be myself. So we'll see you at set today, alright?" Quinn watched Carter nod a goodbye to Artie, then turn and give her the worst sideways glance ever. What made it so bad was that she couldn't tell what it meant- Was it an "I know your secret" glance? Or was it another one of his many "I'm flirting with you" glances? Either way, Artie was oblivious as he strolled out of the door.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Artie turned his chair toward Quinn, chuckling. His laugh was infectious, but Quinn didn't feel like laughing at the moment. She remained stone-faced. "Close one, huh?" he commented, putting his hands on her hips. As his fingers maneuvered their way to the buttons of her shirt, Quinn could feel the frustration bubble up inside of her. She was pouting- couldn't he see? She was _angry_. "Let's forget about the coffee, okay?" he said, that sleepy tone of voice still present in his throat. His blue eyes sparkled behind his glasses...Quinn really didn't want to resist. But this whole problem with their relationship was eating her alive.

"No." she asserted, pushing his hands into his lap. She didn't want him to see her so flustered- so vulnerable- so she turned her head and began to walk into the kitchen.

Quinn could almost hear the sadness in the way his wheels squeaked as he came up behind her. "...What's wrong?" he asked, his voice genuinely concerned. When Quinn heard the tone in his voice, she immediately regretted blowing up at him. She didn't mean to make him feel bad...she just hated how unestablished they were at the moment.

"Nothing." Quinn sighed as she filled the coffee maker with water. "I just...I have a headache." She tried to avoid looking him in the eye, but he caught on fast.

"Q..." She felt his hand on the back of her thigh. It was a soft, careful, tender touch that peppered her mind with comforted thoughts. "Tell me what's wrong." Quinn gulped. She might as well just rip the bandage off.

Quinn whipped her head toward him, releasing all of her anger in this moment. "I just...I wish we didn't have to do this. This sneaking around thing, is all." The stupid coffee maker was one of those one-cup confusing things that annoyed the crap out of her because...why can't it just be a normal coffee pot? It had to be so_ complicated_. What ever happened to simplicity? She tried slamming the...whatever held the coffee beans in it...shut, but it wouldn't close. "This stupid thing won't...!" she shouted in frustration. Then, hearing herself, she calmed down. "...Close." It bothered her that Artie wasn't saying anything. She was _angry_ and he wasn't saying anything. But still, she didn't want to make eye contact. "I just..." Quinn rubbed her face with the palms of her hands, giving a long heaving sigh. "...I suppose my reputation around here would be flushed down the toilet if everyone found out I was fucking the co-director." That wasn't like her, to curse, but that was how she felt. If the cast found out, they wouldn't understand.

"Hey." she heard him say from behind her. "Hey..." he said once again, tenderly. Artie placed his hands on her hips and turned them his way. Quinn was surprised by the strength of his grip, which turned her entire body around. She was ashamed of how selfish she was being, wanting him so much that she was willing to get in the way of his work. "I thought when we decided this...that it was what you wanted." He moved his hands up and down her sides, and Quinn could see the thoughtfulness behind his eyes. "If you don't want to do this anymore, we won't do it. Hell, I will proclaim my love for you from the balcony, girl!" he smiled up at her, and Quinn couldn't help but smile back at the thought. "We could get our repuations ruined...we could_ get fired._ But I won't care because I'll still have the most gorgeous, talented actress in the world as my woman. And I'm one lucky son of a gun to have her."

Quinn blinked a few times, feeling her heart swell with love and a smile spread across her face. How did she get a guy this perfect? Smart, hilarious, and he loved her unconditionally. "I guess I just want everyone to know how in love I am, too." she sighed. "Because you're perfect. And this is two years of a relationship we're dealing with here, and in the moments that I should be happiest when I'm filming, I'm more worried about those extras who don't seem to know that you're taken...by me...and all those actors that don't know I'm taken...by you..."

"Whoah, whoah, whoah..." Artie interrupted, his grip tightening on her waist. Quinn bit her lip. This was exactly what she'd been fearing. "Which actors and what are they doing? You're scarin' me, woman! I might have to bust some kneecaps." Quinn gave a chuckle and rolled her eyes. She didn't doubt that for a second.

"Just...Carter. I mean, we have to kiss onscreen...he feels something. I don't. He thinks for some weird, delusional reason that I want to hook up with him. He just..." she heaved a sigh, "...He just tried to kiss me in here before he left. I just don't want to cause some huge uproar within the cast, you know?"

Artie's cheeks were going red, and his mouth twisted. Quinn could tell that he was beating himself up for not noticing sooner. "I'll kill him." he said. Quinn gave a laugh and shook her head. "Okay, then I'll fire him." he blinked, in all seriousness.

"You don't have to kill...or fire...anyone." she chuckled, bending herself to be level with his face. "I am perfectly capable of handling it myself. I just...I guess I felt a little ignored by you, is all. And when you_ do_ speak to me outside of our hotel rooms, it's strictly business. But..." she shook her head with a smile, remembering the look on his face as he directed, and realized it was the same look she felt in her eyes when she acted, and she felt...happy for him. "...when it_ is_ business, I see a light in your eyes. You love what you're doing. And who am I, as one of your loves, to make you ignore one of your other loves just for me?" Artie began to speak, but Quinn shut him up with a kiss. "I can't. I'm being selfish. And for the good of both of our reputations for now, I'm willing to shut up. Because I know you love me and you know I love you and that's all that matters, right?"

Artie gave a chuckle. "Right." His grip loosened on her hips, and he began rubbing up and down her sides once more. "But...one last thing." He released her, and began to wheel toward the bedroom. Quinn knit her eyebrows, following him.

"What are you doing?" she chuckled as she chased after him. Artie stopped inside the bedroom, next to the balcony. He maneuvered the lock and then pushed open the double-doors of the balcony. Quinn watched as he wheeled himself into the morning summer sun. Oh, God...he wasn't actually...

"People of Los Angeles!" he shouted, raising his hands dramatically. "I am truly, _madly_ in love with my woman Quinn Fabray, and I_ do not_ care who the hell knows!" Quinn burst into laughter before walking up behind him and placing her arms around his chest, her mouth right next to his ear.

"I second that!" she shouted, purposely in his ear. Artie gave a laugh and placed his hand over both of hers, which were clasped on top of his chest.

"So what's the plan, Q?" he asked. Quinn sighed. The cast _really_ wouldn't understand. And she doubted that either of them would get fired over this, but...

"If anyone asks, we don't doubt it. But you are not allowed to neglect your directing because of me. I see the way you look when your vision comes to life. Your eyes get brighter than when you look at me." Artie shook his head and looked up at her.

"Nuh-uh." he began, "_Nothing_ makes my eyes shine brighter than when I look at you." Quinn tightened her grip around his shoulders...It was true. She never did- and probably never will- understand why that was. Because, as she'd previously displayed, she was easily jealous and selfish and...well, Quinn Fabray. But for some reason, he was in a constant state of awe when he looked at her. And that was all she needed.

Quinn placed herself on his lap, and nuzzled her head into his chest. "I love you." she sighed. "So much." As he wheeled them backward, back into the bedroom, Quinn felt his heart beating against the palm of her hand.

Two years and counting.


	9. The Scare

_"No guy ever wants to be 'that guy' in Walgreens at three in the morning..."_

A flush. A flush was all it took to tell Artie that something was not right in his small Los Angeles apartment. After wrapping up filming on The Wild Party, he and Quinn had realized that they loved the city way too much to leave it. The hustle and bustle, the people...Way more interesting than Ohio. And with the money they were paid by Andrew Lippa for working their magic on his film, the two could afford a nice apartment. And well, Artie put away some money for a little something else that may or may not have been sitting way back in his closet...But that will come up soon enough. For now, Artie was scrambling to put his glasses on, to find the glow of their master bathroom beaming golden streams of light on their bed.

Quinn wasn't in her normal spot nestled up against his back, so he figured she must have gotten up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. It wasn't until he was re-awoken by an inhuman gurgling roar. Quinn was throwing up. Artie sprung up, and called from the bed, "Q, are you alright?" he shouted. There was a pause, and he could feel the uneasiness in the air.

"...Yeah."

Artie gave a small chuckle. "I don't believe you." he sat up and pulled the comforter off of his waist. The autumn chill hit hard on his bare chest. He maneuvered himself into his chair (sitting in its spot near the bed, as always), and wheeled himself to the bathroom.

"Can I come in?" he asked to the door, placing a small rap on the wood. Again, a silence. Artie caught a glimpse of the numbers on the digital clock on his nightstand, glowing red in the dark room. It was 2:17 am.

He heard a few sniffles, another flush, and the running water of the sink. "I think I'm better now, yeah." he heard. Her voice sounded weak, tired...How long had she been in there? He knew they shouldn't have eaten at that new Chinese place down the street. He had a high tolerance for food, but the delicate stomach of his woman was much more fragile.

Artie made a move to open the door, but the knob wouldn't budge. "Uh, beautiful gorgeous...I can't come in unless the door is unlocked." He heard a rustling of clothes, then a click. Quinn opened the door, sniffling, looking pale and meek. Her eyes were rimmed with dark circles, her pajama pants hung loosely from her hips, her forehead glistened with sweat. She was sick. Artie furrowed his brow. Sure, he'd seen Quinn sick before, with a cold or the flu, but she looked positively ill tonight. Before he could express his concerns with more than just facial expressions, Quinn let out the dreaded words.

"Artie..." she began, "We need to talk." Artie was taken aback by her words. That was something girls said when they were about to break up with you...Though, he supposed thinking that way was a bit silly. But she looked frightened and sick, and all he could think to do was take her by the hand and lead her to the edge of the bed.

"Talk to me." he said, sitting her down to face him.

Quinn ran a hand through her messy bob, matted with sweat. "You have to promise me you won't freak out." she sighed. Artie squinted his eyes, expressing both confusion and concern.

"Girl, you know me. I'm chill." he gave an uneasy smile to try and keep her calm. Though he couldn't possibly imagine what would have gotten her go shaken up.

She gave an audible gulp as she raised her eyes level to his. As he got lost in her green pools, she said it. "I think I'm pregnant." she said. The words loomed in the air, swirling around his head, dancing in front of his face, before they finally entered his brain and nearly gave him an aneurysm.

Artie could feel his chest heave up and down. He was about to hyperventilate...he was about to die. His hands trembled as he lifted them to his face, ghosting them across his glasses, into his hair.

"Say something!" Quinn fumed, smacking him on the shoulder, and out of his trance. Only then did Artie feel how hard his heart was beating.

"You're on The Pill!" he exclaimed. That was the only thing on his mind as of now...how could that happen? They were only twenty-three. They were just getting their careers started. There was no room for this. She couldn't be pregnant. Not now, of all times.

He watched as Quinn held her face in her hands. "99.9 percent." she muttered into her own lap. "...That's .1 percent possibility." As much as Artie wanted to shout that he knew that .1%, since he never got below a 95 in a math class, the weakness of Quinn was setting him back. She was so scared- more scared than he was, he was pretty sure. It was her body, after all. Artie lifted himself out of his chair and onto the bed, next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Alright...when was your um..." he gave a cough, implying what he was trying to say. His unease with the female anatomy was a recurring joke in their relationship, and he felt Quinn quiver with a small chuckle under his arm. Glad to know she could feel something other than fear...He didn't want them to be afraid right now. They didn't need to be. And seeing Quinn afraid would just make him more afraid- she was the strongest person he knew.

She nudged him with her shoulder, expressing her new comfort with the situation. "I last menstruated a month and two weeks ago." She milked the blunt language to make him even more uncomfortable with it. "But we've had this talk. I've never had a 'normal' cycle,and I've been puking all night, and I'm known for being fertile..." Artie gave a small chuckle. Quinn had gotten word from Puck that her Beth privileges were almost back, and the light in Quinn's eyes when she heard that was the happiest Artie had ever seen her. Perhaps he could see that light in her eyes when their little one got here...whoa, whoa, whoa. He stopped himself from thinking that. They weren't even sure yet.

"Damn, those ovaries just don't stop do they?" Artie chuckled. Quinn gave his shoulder a light shove, then laughed herself.

"We really shouldn't be laughing right now." she sighed, the weakest of grins on her face.

Artie shook his head. "If we don't laugh, how will we expect to get through it? Y'know what they say. Laughter is the best medicine."

Quinn gave a groan. He knew that meant she felt that he was right. "Well in that case, I'll need a Laughter Ambien, a Laughter Xanax, a Laughter Pepto Bismol to calm the crashing seas that are my gastric fluids." Artie watched as she doubled over, and wondered if she was about to upchuck there on the floor. But she didn't. And he was glad. As soon as she sat back up, Quinn gave a sigh.

"You're not freaking out!" she shouted to him. "You should be freaking out!" Artie couldn't help but laugh.

"You told me not to!" he retorted, smiling. Quinn shook her head and buried her face in his shoulder.

"I don't know..." she said into him, "I really don't."

Artie sucked in a breath. "Go lay down. Rest. Drink a Sprite. I'm gonna roll my little self down to Walgreens and I'ma get us some pregnancy tests. And we'll take it from there." he held a hand out, only to find that his palms were still quivering. He'd thought he'd gotten over it...but here he was, still a nervous, shaking twenty-three-year-old, and not the confident daddy-to-be he had thought he was for a second there.

"No, I cant make you-" Quinn began to protest, but Artie stopped her.

"I'll be back in a few. Liquids. You're gonna need to pee...a lot when I get back." he rolled quickly out of the room, out of the apartment, out of reality.

By the time he reached Walgreens, the experience became real again, and he was fighting off another anxiety attack once he entered the feminine products aisle. Eyeing all of the pregnancy, tests, he clearly didn't know any of the brands and what would be reliable and what wouldn't be...so he grabbed one of each. That was eight tests in all. He also picked up a ginger ale (Canada Dry, Quinn's favorite) to calm her stomach. The only thing he could picture in her stomach at this particular moment was rancid Chinese food, but he wasn't sure how he'd be feeling in twenty minutes, when these tests sealed their fate.

He brought the tests up to the cash register. The cashier was about his age, maybe a little younger, with a thin mustache and a head of dark brown curls. Upon seeing the avalanche of pregnancy tests in Artie's possession, as well as the ginger ale and the late hour on the clock (now 2:57), he gave the smallest of chuckles. Artie should have been more offended, but his emotions were just not in any place at the moment. He had to laugh, too. He relived the words he'd told Quinn- laughter is the best medicine.

"Hey, maybe someday it'll happen to you. Ain't gonna be so funny then, will it," he eyed the boy's name tag, ",Scott?"

Scott gave another chuckle as he rung up the tests. "Been there, done that- Uh, that'll be $36.78- and well," he gave a nod to his left, averting Artie's eye to a wallet-sized photo of a bouncing baby girl with pigtails and a large smile. ",I lucked out." Artie was dumbfounded. The kid was young. Too young to be a dad. As he handed his credit card across the counter, Artie pondered Scott's situation- a young father, working the graveyard shift at a Walgreens.

He had to get out of there.

Artie took the bags, muttered a "Thanks," and wheeled toward the automatic door. From behind he could hear Scott shout a "hey". Impulsively, Artie turned to hear what he possibly had to say now.

"Good luck." Scott nodded. Artie merely sighed, shook his head, and exited.

On his way home, Artie couldn't rid his mind of the predicament. Next to him in the passenger seat, each of the eight of the pregnancy tests, like Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell Tale Heart, had its own individual heartbeat. They became a drumline pounding in his ears. Artie could feel his own heartbeat pounding through his chest. It was becoming unbearable. He had to pull the car over to the side of the road and breathe.

He'd given Quinn the impression that it would all be okay. It would _not be okay_. Sure, they'd manage- Hell, they'd love the crap out of that kid. Well, Artie sure knew he would. But being responsible for another life? He wasn't ready. And he knew Quinn wasn't ready. Their careers were just beginning to rise. Quinn had booked at least six auditions since her face became one to look for in Hollywood...and her dreams were so big. He'd hate to see them put aside for something like this.

Not feeling so much better, Artie pulled away from the curb and continued to drive- the longest drive of his life - home. After parking in their spot, Artie gave one final breath before leaving the car and wheeling himself to their apartment. In less than ten minutes, there was a chance that his life would never be the same. He unlocked the door and rolled into their living room, only to find Quinn sitting on the couch, twiddling her thumbs.

"Q, I told you to rest." he began, but Quinn stood.

"I love you." she blurted. Artie knit his brows, and gave a small smile.

"I...love you too. And I'd _love_ if you got your tushie in the bathroom and-"

Quinn shook her head. "Not yet. I've been sitting here thinking...and puking..." Artie reached into the plastic bag and tossed her her bottle of Canada Dry. "...See?" Quinn held up the bottle. "_This. _This is exactly what I was just about to point out." Artie was confused at the point she was getting at, but listened intently. "You always know exactly what to do. You know me inside out, and...God, Artie." she beamed at him, her green eyes big with some emotion. If he wasn't mistaken, he believed it was...admiration. "You're so perfect. And reliable. And, I love you. I love you _so_ much. That's what makes_ this_," she placed a hand on her stomach, ",okay. If it's there. I mean, I can trust you to the fullest, and I know you love me unconditionally, and you always will, and..." she was close to him now. Artie was taken aback by this. He was speechless. Quinn placed her hands on his cheeks, "Did I mention I love you?" she laughed. Artie laughed with her, but he was still unable to say anything. "I can't picture myself actually creating a family with anyone but you. And I know that we can do this if we need to." Quinn placed the softest, sweetest kiss on Artie's lips. He hadn't thought of it like that.

All this time, he'd seen a baby as a thing in their lives. Surely, a thing they would both love and cherish, but not as like...well, in his language, a collaboration. Two people joining together, bringing the best of them, and putting their contributions into one huge project. It wasn't just parenting, it was a test of true companionship. And he realized now that he couldn't picture himself being tested with anyone but Quinn. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

When she pulled back, Artie felt as if she'd pulled the words right out of him. "I love you, too." he breathed. He opened his eyes to admire Quinn's face. She wasn't crying, but her eyes had that misty quality to them, as if she would in a second. He placed his hands on her arms. Her hands still cupped his cheeks. "So much." was all he could say at first. Then, the words came flooding out. "There was a kid at Walgreens who laughed at me when I bought all these tests, " Artie gave a small chuckle, realizing that maybe eight was a bit too much. ",and he told me that he was a dad and he was so young and not ready but..." he shook his head. "He looked so happy, Q. Happy to work that job to provide for his baby girl." Artie lowered his hands to be on either side of Quinn's waist, not daring touch her stomach. To him, it was like it would shatter if he touched it. "And I love you so much, I know I'd be the happiest man on the planet. And I'll be there with you every step of the way, no matter what."

A tear fell from Quinn's eye. Artie could tell that she hadn't planned on crying tonight. He lifted a thumb to wipe it away from her cheek. Now, _she _was the speechless one.

Quinn sighed, took a test from the plastic bag, and eyed it. "Welp." she sucked in a breath and went into the bathroom.

Artie counted the minutes it took for her to come out of the bathroom.

_One minute, forty-six seconds._

Together, they sat in silence, their hands clasped, their hearts pounding for the minutes it took the test to show up.

_Three minutes, ten seconds._

Quinn cautiously stood, walked into the bathroom, and Artie rubbed his palms together in anticipation.

_Four seconds._

She came out of the bathroom, her hand over the result on the test. She hadn't looked at it, yet. Carefully, she flipped it over.

Artie's entire life flashed before his eyes.

"...Oh my God, it's negative!" she exclaimed. Artie hadn't expected the rush of relief to overwhelm him as much as it did. Prickles of sweat beaded his entire body. The moment they'd just had, the words, they all still meant the same...but Artie was just so stinking _relieved_.

Ten minutes later, after using five of the eight tests, they all proved negative. Quinn's back pressed against the wall, she slid down onto her bottom, soaking in the relief, too. They'd both found their reactions hilarious, and were now laughing uncontrollably. Laughing because it was past three in the morning. Laughing because who would have thought they'd ever be in this situation? Laughing because they were so _so_ happy. Once the laughter died down, Quinn made her way to the bed where Artie now sat, and placed herself on his lap.

"So...every step of the way, huh? No matter what?" Artie was shocked that she'd remembered his speech word for word.

"No matter what." he repeated. "Even when we do decide to have a family someday."

Quinn's eyes floated upward. "Even when I'm a fat, moody, pain in the ass?" she challenged.

Artie gave a smirk. "Well...you're already two of those things." Quinn gave a smiling gasp. "But you're _my_ moody pain in the ass. No matter what." Taken with the moment, Artie attacked her with celebratory kisses. On her neck, chin, cheeks. Quinn exploded with laughter.

They were young. They were free. They were going to keep it that way.


	10. Romantic Shenanigans

_"And then the day came that changed our lives forever..." _

Quinn could almost hear the excitement in her footsteps as she scuttled her wedged heels up to the movie theatre. This would most likely be her last time seeing a movie as a _spectator _before The Wild Party hit theatres and she became a movie _star. _And if that wasn't exciting enough, she could also see the silhouette of her old friend Mercedes Jones standing in line at the ticket booth. She was taken aback by the sight. Mercedes hadn't changed too much, but they hadn't seen each other since high school. And though they kept in touch over the phone, seeing her in person was such a throwback. Five years of friendship via telephone was hard to keep up, but you don't just forget a friend whose family took you in when you were pregnant and alone. Quinn made certain that Mercedes would never be able to escape her friendship and gratitude.

Over the years, Quinn would turn to only two people besides Artie in times of hardship. And while Santana's quips were greatly appreciated sometimes, Mercedes was the kind of friend who gave brutally honest advice, as well as words that were almost as good as a warm hug. And finally, the two of them were within reaching distance of each other. Quinn and Artie had their LA apartment, and Mercedes and her boyfriend Sam Evans stayed only a half-hour away. She was surprised, to say the least, when her friend proposed that they see a movie together. It was abrupt, and Mercedes _should _have been packing for her first national tour. But she told Quinn that she couldn't leave LA until they finally hung out.

As she slowed to a walk, Quinn felt her purse vibrate. She checked her phone to find a text from Artie.

_At the movies yet, beautiful?_

She couldn't help but giggle at the glowing screen of her cell phone. He was elated to hear that she was reconnecting with Mercedes , and she'd even invited him to join them, but he couldn't make it because he had to do some publicity for the movie. He'd be going out of state...he'd been out of state a few times in the past few months, actually. But their relationship was still as strong as ever. Quinn answered a quick "_Yup. xoxo. Try not to wait up. ;)" _

When she finally accosted Mercedes, she was buying her ticket. When she left the line, Quinn made sure that she was the first face she saw. Mercedes' eyes lit up when they met Quinn's, and the girls (oh God, they weren't girls anymore were they? They were women!) embraced, screaming and jumping up and down like school girls.

"You look fantastic!" Quinn gushed at her friend. Mercedes was definitely living the Hollywood dream. Her hair was amazing, her makeup, her clothes...Her stilletto boots were to _die_ for.

"Girl, not as fantastic as you!" Mercedes beamed back. Quinn found that hard to believe.

She embraced her once more. She was filled with so much nostalgia, she could have cried. Quinn never really noticed how much she missed her high school friends until now. Five years of being friends with thespians (Kacie was delighted when she found out that Quinn and Artie actually worked out, by the way) could really make a girl miss those who kept her grounded in her toughest years.

"Let me buy my ticket, and then I'll never leave your side." Quinn chuckled as she pulled back. Thankfully, there was no line for the ticket booth. She slid ten dollars through the cash slot. "One for People to See, please?" She and Mercedes had decided to see the mushiest, most sickeningly sweet romance movie that was out. Quinn had even brought tissues in case it was a cause for water works.

Once she had the ticket in her hand, Quinn placed her change in her purse and quickly linked arms with her friend. "So, what, you didn't bring the_ Grammy_?" she teased.

Mercedes gave a chuckle. "I _told_ you, Q. It's only a nomination. I haven't won it...yet." Quinn gave a sigh. Here she was with a movie opening in a few months, and Mercedes nominated for a Grammy. Mr. Schuester would be proud. She had no doubt that Mercedes would win. She was a fan-favorite in the R&B categories.

"Well, I happen to have heard of a little thing you may or may not have promised Sam concerning this Grammy. So for his sake, you'd better win." Sam Evans, Quinn's ex boyfriend and Mercedes' current boyfriend, had nearly shouted from the rooftops that Mercedes told him that she'd consider getting married after she won her first Grammy. And knowing Sam, he wasn't one to just forget things like that.

Quinn studied Mercedes' face, which was smiling shyly and pondering something Quinn could only imagine. "Well, like I said. I haven't won it just yet. Now, enough about my relationship. What about yours, Miss One Half of the Most Unexpected Couple of the Century?"

"Artie's perfect. As always." she felt a grin spread across her face. "You should come see our place because it, like him, is perfect." Whenever Quinn had to think of ways to describe Artie, she always found herself at a loss for words. How do you sum up someone who's amazing and funny and patient and great in bed and talented and loving and selfless and not afraid to call you out on your bullshit? The only word that ever came to mind was "perfect".

Mercedes gave an exaggerated "Awwww" in Quinn's ear as they approached the concession line. Quinn couldn't help but laugh. Mercedes bumped shoulders with her and let out a giggle. "I know how you feel, girl. Being in love is a _trip_."

"Tell me about it." she sighed dreamily. Being in love...it was definitely a _feeling._ Not one Quinn could say she'd ever felt before. In no way was she denying that she ever loved any of her ex boyfriends. Okay, perhaps saying that she was _in love_ with Puck was a bit of a stretch...But the kind of love she felt for Finn Hudson and Sam Evans was different than what she was feeling now. It was a kind of love that she could tell from the start that she would eventually grow out of. But with Artie, it was like the two of them were on a roller coaster of discovery. She never stopped learning new things about him- about _herself_- when she was with him. She never _wanted _to stop. And though they occasionally had their squabbles, Quinn was never afraid to admit she was wrong around him. Because unlike most people, Artie never judged her. They had this undeniable comfort together that Quinn could never see herself growing tired of. She could spend the rest of her life on this roller coaster.

Quinn had to stop herself from thinking so much about Artie because, believe it or not, it made her start to miss him. She had just now noticed that it had been forever since she'd gone and saw a movie with someone besides him. But then she reminded herself that she was with Mercedes and was instantly in the moment again. The two bought their popcorn, candy, and drinks, and made their way to the theatre. They discussed their relationships, their careers, and everything they could in that walk down the hallway. Like Artie, Quinn felt this sort of comfort around Mercedes, too. They were soul sisters, they had said it themselves. And Quinn didn't even feel the slightest bit of discomfort when Mercedes spoke of her relationship with Sam. And though she knew it was probably her own relationship with Artie that clouded her vision to disable her from feeling anything other than happiness for other happy couples, she knew how in love Sam and Mercedes were. He may have been her ex boyfriend, but she was so happy that they had each other.

"I swear, Sam has me knowing the entire Na'vi dictionary." Mercedes chuckled as they tread up the stairs of the theatre to find good seats. "I can't tell you how many times I've heard _'Oel ngati kamei.' _" Quinn could hear Mercedes' tone become less complaining and more gushing. "...It means 'I love you.'"

She couldn't help but laugh openly. "Our boyfriends are such nerds!" she exclaimed before turning to meet Mercedes' eye. "Artie has three loves: Me, directing, and Star Wars. He's fluent in Ewok." The two burst into laughter at how ridiculously adorable their nerdy boyfriends were. "Though, I suppose there are perks."

"Like what?" Mercedes challenged as they sat in seats in the back.

Quinn gave a shrug. "Let's just say I can get anything I want if I put my hair in Princess Leia buns." Once again, they burst into loud, obnoxious laughter that only two girlfriends could muster up together. Even the fourteen-year-old girls down the aisle were in disbelief.

It was as if they hadn't been apart for more than five weeks, let alone five years. Quinn made a mental note that she and Mercedes should hangout whenever possible. It was nice to take a break from her career and the pressures of adult life and just be a girl again.

When she raised her head from Mercedes' shoulder, the two girls realized the lights were dimming.

"Sssh sh sh...The previews are starting." Mercedes gave Quinn's hand a pat. Quinn examined her friend's face and found a faint glow of mischief in her smile. But she shrugged it off and simply placed a hand in her bag of popcorn. Every time she ate popcorn, she was reminded of hers and Artie's first date, where they had a popcorn food fight and slept under the stars... Darn. There she went missing him again.

The two girls sat and watched two trailers for movies. One looked like a romantic comedy that was bound to be a box office flop, Quinn could just tell, and the other looked like a semi-decent drama about a family's secrets and revelations. Quinn shared "Ugh, that looks awful" and "Hm. I wouldn't mind seeing that. Channing Tatum's in it! "with Mercedes, but only received half-hearted "Mm hmm"s and a wry smirk. That wasn't like her at all, to be holding back an opinion on anything. Quinn let her skepticism show as she turned her attention back to the screen, in time for the third movie trailer.

As the third trailer came up, it showed a pair of wheels rolling down a hallway. No face, just wheels on a hallway floor. The tiles said it was a high school, and they scratched Quinn with familiarity. She could _swear _they were the McKinley High School floor tiles. And, if she wasn't mistaken, those wheels looked _just like_ Artie's. Quinn gave a squint and shook her head, trying to shake out her thoughts. That couldn't be possible.

_"This is where I first saw her."_ The wheels stopped at a locker. _"Right here. This was her locker. Number 104. She was touching up her makeup when I first laid eyes on her and her red and white cheerleading uniform." _

Quinn clutched Mercedes' arm, nearly choking on her popcorn. That was _her_ locker number her sophomore year. And more importantly, that was Artie's voice doing the narration. "Cedes, what is g-" The girl gave a laugh that Quinn could tell she'd been stifling for a while.

"Sh sh sh...just watch." Mercedes tipped Quinn's chin to look back up to the screen. Her heart fluttered with anticipation and curiosity. What was going on? What did Artie _do?_ She blinked a few times before giving the screen her utmost attention.

The next shot showed the wheels at the courtyard of the Yale campus. Quinn's heart did a dip, and she felt a smile spread across her face. She was finally catching on.

_"This was where we met up four years later. Funny how serendipity works, isn't it?" _Quinn gave a hearty laugh at the inside joke, the only one in the movie theatre. All of the spectators were convinced this was a real movie. Quinn leaned back in her seat to shield her knowledge of the shenanigans, and felt Mercedes' shoulders shaking next to her with laughter. She gave the girl a nudge as the "trailer" continued on.

The wheels rolled through a different hallway, now. The dorm rooms of Yale. They stopped in front of room 16A. _"This was my dorm room. Me and her spent so much time in here...studying, watching movies, and then some." _The "narrator" gave a chuckle, and Quinn's stomach flipped. Yes, that was _definitely_ Artie's voice. His _laugh. _The next shot showed the wheels at a duck pond. Quinn bit her lip with excitement. That was _the _duck pond. Just as she'd remembered it, that day that they said their first I Love Yous. _"She and I fed ducks here one day. She told me she loved me for the first time here. I wasn't prepared for it at all, yo. But, well, I gotta say it was one of the greatest feelings I've ever felt. To this day."_

Her throat closed up, and she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. As if she sensed Quinn's emotions, Mercedes took her hand and rested her head on her shoulder. Quinn leaned her head on top of Mercedes', not once taking her eyes off of the screen. She had to see where exactly this was going. She was still bewildered and confused, but of course, Artie's romantic shenanigans never failed to behoove her.

_"And this,"_ the wheels were in LA now, wheeling down a sidewalk. The camera panned upward to reveal the movie theatre that they sat in right now. Quinn's grip on Mercedes' hand increased ten-fold. Her heart was beating out of her chest, anxiously awaiting what was coming next. _"...This is where I'm going to ask the biggest question of my life...Of _our _lives." _All of the confused looks in the movie theatre's audience couldn't mask Quinn's shocked doe-eyes and wide-open mouth. Mercedes was laughing, now, and Quinn couldn't contain herself any longer.

"What's going on?" she asked her friend, shaking her head with excitement. It couldn't have been what she was thinking...No, not possible.

All Mercedes did was laugh, as the lights in the theatre let up from the dimness. The heads of the audience looked around, confused by the situation. But none of them could have been more confused than Quinn.

Then, a blinding light came from the corner of the theatre. Everyone knows that terrible bright light, when someone comes into the room through the emergency exit and the light from the outside shines into the theatre. Quinn's head whipped around. Artie wheeled in, followed by a guy with a camera. Quinn could feel her breath get knocked out of her. He was there, in a white dress shirt with black suspenders and a bowtie. Almost involuntarily, Quinn's hands left Mercedes' and covered her mouth. She was in awe. What was he _doing _here? He was supposed to be in New York. Not here, in LA, in the movie theatre, crashing her movie date with Mercedes.

Artie stopped at the large plateau of handicapable seating and found her with his eyes. She could see his emotions from that far away. He looked hopeful and excited and like the happiest guy in the world to be looking at her right now.

Slowly, Quinn stood, unsure if she should go down there and ravage him like she wanted to or stay in case he had anything else to throw at her.

"Quinn Fabray," he shouted, "Get down here." Artie's voice shook, but his smile never faltered. Quinn felt the lightest of pats on her butt, and looked back to Mercedes.

"You knew about this." she accused, beaming all the while. "You were in on this."

Mercedes beamed back. "Just go, girl. You will not regret it, I promise."

Quinn knit her eyebrows and clutched Mercedes' hands once more. "What's happening?" she questioned once more, not being able to mask the franticness of her voice. She knew this was much more than just romantic shenanigans, now. Mercedes shook her head, took Quinn by the cheeks, and looked her in the eye.

"Just go."

At that, Quinn bounded down the stairs, her dress puffing up in the wind of her speed to meet Artie.

"What are you_ doing_?" she asked, laughing. The suspense was _killing _her. Artie shook his head, and shushed her. She was being shushed an awful lot today.

"Just listen." he smiled up at her. The blue in his eyes sparkled with nervousness. He gestured for her to take a seat in one of the chairs. Silently, she complied, and he took her by the hands.

"Quinn Fabray." he began. His thumbs traced small circles on the backs of her hands, something he did when he was nervous. "Looking back on all the times we've had together over the last three years...I'm just...In shock and awe that you have even stayed with me for this long." he laughed. Quinn laughed, too, but she wanted to tell him just how perfect he was, and how she couldn't leave him if she tried. "And well, this relationship is definitely something I'd never felt before. You do something to me that...man, I don't even know. I love you, Q. And I'll love you forever. So in my life, whether I'm making movies...or making babies...I want that to be with you." Quinn's mouth went dry. Her heart did somersaults in her chest. This _was_ really happening. She lifted a hand to her mouth, and felt hot tears spill out of her eyes, over the back of her hand. Artie could tell she had just had the realization, and his expression became even happier. He beamed at her and strengthened his grip on the hand that wasn't over her mouth. "I've fallen head over wheels for you, Q. And now I have something to ask you." still in disbelief, all she could do was giggle into the palm of her hand at his play on words. "Quinn Fabray." he said once more. Quinn stomped her feet on the floor rapidly, unable to contain herself anymore.

"Oh my God." she let out through a sob, her voice still muffled by the palm of her hand. Realizing that, Quinn lifted her hand from her mouth and wiped her tears.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, Quinn saw the image on the screen switch. She looked up, and there, in white cursive font over a black background,

_"Will you marry me?"_

By the time she looked down, Artie held a ring in his hands. It was nice-sized, but not too big. He knew how she hated ostentacious jewelry, and the ring was just the right size. Quinn hardly got a look at it before her eyes were blurred once again with tears.

"Will you marry me?" he asked, his voice quivering. Quinn covered her face with her hands as the rest of the movie theatre "Awwww"ed. She hoped to hide her face, now flushed with pink, but all she wanted to do was kiss him. Artie Abrams had just _proposed_ to her. And she was speechless.

Finally, Quinn was able to choke out a "Yes". Through tears._ "Yes."_ she repeated louder, before leaning in to place the most passionate of kisses on her lovely boyfriend..._fiance. _She was getting _married. _She was going to be a _bride_. A _wife. _

As they kissed, Quinn could see out of the corner of her eye an image of an explosion of fireworks on the movie screen. Artie was all for the theatrics. He was perfect. She pulled back to laugh and admire the fireworks on the screen. Artie took advantage of this by taking the opportunity to put the ring on her finger. And at that moment it all became so real. Quinn was flooded with happiness. She stood and held up her ring finger to the audience. And as they applauded, she could see Mercedes running down to hug her.

"I'm so happy for you-u-u-u-u." she said as she shook Quinn into her embrace. Quinn didn't say anything, and hoped that Mercedes would take her silence as the biggest thank you possible. They pulled back, and Mercedes wiped Quinn's tears with her thumbs. "You're getting married!" she exclaimed. Quinn gave a nod. That was all she could do.

Quinn watched as Mercedes exchanged words with Artie, but couldn't hear what they were saying. Her ears were too overcome by the sound of her heart pounding. She placed her left hand on her chest, and caught a glimpse of her engagement ring. She reached down and took Artie by the suspenders, placing another kiss on his lips. Her mind was so clouded. All she wanted to do was kiss him. Forever. And ever. Every day of her life.

"I love you so much." she muttered into his lips. Artie gave a chuckle, and pulled her onto his lap. Quinn wrapped her arms around his shoulders and nestled her head into her usual spot, in the nape of his neck.

She was getting _married._


	11. Every Step of the Way

_"And then the movie premiered and we were on top of the world...for a while..."_

Artie rolled up to the hotel room, his ears still pounding from the party music. Quinn on his left, she'd had a few drinks in her and was sending kisses down his cheek, to his neck, unbuttoning his shirt in the process. Artie had to admit that he wasn't entirely innocent here either, and was kind of seeing double- but hell, what else were you supposed to do when you just premiered your first Hollywood film? He had his lovely fiancé to his left, a movie under his belt, and some pretty amazing news to reveal. A few celebratory glasses of champagne were well-deserved.

He fumbled with the room key as Quinn raked her fingernails down his chest and nibbled on his ear. "Calm down, woman!" he chuckled, turning the doorknob, "I've got somethin' to tell you."

He looked up at Quinn, who ran a hand through her hair and shook her head. "No, no more surprises. I already had the surprise of my life by how amazing the movie turned out."

Artie raised an eyebrow playfully. He knew she didn't mean it the way it sounded.

"Oh, you know what I mean, Mr. Spielberg- I mean, Mr. Tarantino- I mean, Mr. Perfect." Her green eyes peered at him as she removed her jewelry. Her navy blue dress hugged her figure and then flared at her hips. Her hair softly curled and her makeup dramatic, Quinn looked like an old Hollywood starlet. Artie couldn't keep his eyes off of her all night.

"I'm flattered, Ms. Monroe- I mean, Ms. Hepburn- I mean, Ms. Flawless In Every Way." Artie gave a smirk. Quinn giggled as she shimmied out of her dress.

"Well, if you have such amazing news," She stretched, clearly showing off her body to him, clad only in her bra and undies, "I guess I'll go put my pajamas on." She was teasing, he could tell.

Artie gave a laugh. "Go on, then. You'll want to be comfortable when I tell you anyway."

Quinn rolled her eyes with a smile. "You're no fun." She jogged into the bathroom.

"I hate when you leave, but I love to watch you go!" Artie shouted after her as he rolled over to his suitcase. What better way to top off a movie premiere than with some of the greatest news of his life? He'd visited a hospital while Quinn was at an audition…and met a doctor who specialized in stem cell treatment. Since they were getting married, he figured he kind of wanted to actually dance with her for their first dance…Or at least stand at the end of the aisle for her. He had the paperwork right there in his suitcase and he couldn't wait to tell Quinn.

She reentered the room in her nightgown with a hairbrush in her hand. "Okay, spill." She said before standing in front of the vanity. Quinn began brushing the hairspray out of her curls. Artie sucked in a breath as he clutched the paperwork in his hands. It would be best to just…go right into it.

"I'm going to walk again." He blurted. Okay, maybe he hadn't intended it to come out just like that.

Quinn stopped brushing. "….Wait, what?" she chuckled, taken aback by the news.

"Stem cell!" Artie rolled up next to her in the vanity mirror and slapped the paperwork down onto the desk. She eyed it in silence, and her intent stare made Artie believe she'd been reading it word-for-word.

"Wow." Was all she said. He could tell in her face that she was afraid…afraid of what? The falter in her voice when she spoke said that she felt uneased by this information. Why? Why wasn't she beaming, throwing her arms around him, kissing him all over? This was the greatest news of his life…why wasn't she happy?

"I'm gonna dance with you at our wedding, babe." He said quietly, taking Quinn by the hips.

She cocked her head and looked him in the eye. "Is that what this is about? I don't need to dance with you to have a perfect wedding." Her hand reached out and cupped his cheek. "As long as I'm marrying you, I'm amazing."

Artie knit his brows. "Aren't you happy? At least a little?"

Quinn set down her hairbrush on the desk, and the clank echoed throughout the silence in the hotel room. "Of course, baby." She gave a sad smile, and the room was silent again.

"Then look happier." Artie could understand, now- she didn't think it was going to work. She thought this was a waste of time…just like everyone told him his entire life.

"I _am_ happy!" she defended. "It's just…"

Artie couldn't contain himself any longer. He had to call her out on this. "It's _just _that you don't think I'm going to walk again."

The words seemed to shock Quinn. "I_ never_ said that."

"You of all people, Q. Out of all people, I would've expected you to have at least a little bit of faith in me." Artie took his hands off her hips and rolled backward. Seriously, in the three years of their relationship, he'd never been this angry with her. Quinn was supposed to be the love of his life and here she was, doubting his biggest dream.

"It's not you I don't have faith in!" she responded, "It's this science- these treatments. They haven't been around for very long, and don't have a very high success rate. It has nothing to_ do_ with _you_." Her voice was shaking- they'd never fought like this before. Little squabbles, of course, over stupid things, but just the thought of something as serious as this getting between them…Artie could tell it scared her. In fact, it scared him, too. But he knew that there was a chance it wouldn't work…and hearing it coming from Quinn, the person who was supposed to support him through everything. He couldn't help but want to fight about this.

He continued to wheel backward, nearly squishing himself against the wall. "I can't believe you." He shook his head. He watched as Quinn shut her eyes tightly, and placed a hand on her hip. He'd seen her in high school- she could hold her own in a fight. She was_ choosing_ to back off.

"Can we not? I'm drunk, you're drunk, and we're saying things we don't mean." She continued to brush her curls. Artie could see that her eyes were glazing over in deep thought, and eventually misting over with tears.

"How can you love me and not support me in this?" Artie asked, quieter now.

She shut her eyes, and a single tear fell. "I _do_. I just don't want to see you disappointed." She put the hairbrush down once more and looked him in the eye. "You and I? We're used to getting disappointed. By life, by people we love…" Normally, Artie would feel offended. But since this was Quinn and they'd had this conversation many late nights lying in bed together…he knew it was the truth. "Tonight we finally got _perfection_. All those people out there that watched your movie didn't _care_ that you were in a chair. They didn't care that I was a teen mother in high school even though the tabloids are already buzzing about it. They cared that you are fantastic behind a camera. And I'll love you, wheels and all. We dance all the time. I don't need to do what everyone else defines as 'dancing' at our wedding. I just need you. That's all I'll _ever_ need. And I don't want to be the reason that you'll be getting disappointed again. Because you don't deserve that."

Artie bit his lip. He knew now- Quinn didn't want to feel guilty if he got disappointed by the treatments. "Baby." He said quietly, almost a whisper as he rolled forward. "…Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not doing this for _you_. I'm not doing it for anyone but me. This," he gestured to the paperwork, ",has been my dream since I was eight years old. So there's a possibility that it couldn't work- but it ain't gonna hurt to try."

Quinn's face flushed. She turned her head away from him. "I'm so stupid." She moaned. She locked her fingers behind her neck, resting her elbows on the vanity. Artie reached a hand up and began rubbing her back.

"No, you're not. I don't even think I knew I wasn't doing it for you until just now." Ever since the doctor's appointment, he'd had his mind set on the wedding…He'd lost sight of his dream. It wasn't until he thought he'd lost Quinn's approval did he realize how much it _really _meant to him.

"I'm stupid and selfish." Quinn muttered into the desk. Artie gave a chuckle.

"No, you're drunk, remember? We're saying things we don't mean." He teased.

Quinn looked up with a smirk. "Yeah, well, I_ feel_ stupid. This is your dream…and I wanted to take it away from you."

"No, you didn't. You were trying to protect me." Artie clutched her hips once more, feeling the satin of her nightgown on the palms of his hands.

"You don't need my protection." He watched as Quinn shook her head. Her hands reached out and grabbed him by the cheeks, "You are a grown-ass man."

Artie couldn't help but laugh at the fact that he was clearly rubbing off on her. "Damn straight. And I'm a grown-ass man who will have his feet firmly planted on the ground _someday_."

"Someday _soon_." She corrected, before placing a peck on his lips, "And I will be with you every step of the way." She continued to kiss him until Artie gave a laugh.

"Was that pun completely intended?" he muttered between the softness of her lips and his own laughter.

Quinn responded with a giggle. "Damn straight." Their lips were together once more, and barely parted the rest of the night.

Oh, yes. He was definitely rubbing off on her.


	12. Meet the Fabrays

_"The Fabray family...They took me in with open arms, I gotta say..."_

Lima, Ohio. Also known as a little place Artie liked to call home. Los Angeles was great and all, but something about Lima just filled him with nostalgia and…love. And, well, his family was also there. He hadn't been back to Lima in a little over a year, but today he and Quinn sat in a taxi on their way to stay the week with her family. When the week was up, they'd be going across town to stay with the Abramses. He was excited to show Quinn the way of the Abrams Family, since well, she was going to become a part of it in a year or so.

"Babe, are you listening?" Quinn gave his knee a nudge. Sometimes she did that, forgetting that he couldn't really feel it. Except this time, Artie felt the faintest of touches ghost across his knee. But Quinn didn't need to know that….not just yet.

"Yeah, yeah, um…" he shook his head from his deep thought, ",What?"

Quinn gave a laugh. "Okay. Repeat what I just told you." She challenged. Artie wracked his brain for what they had been discussing- um, um…her family. Right. She was giving him trivia about her family so he would be prepared when they got there.

"Uhhh, your mom is three years sober." But he already knew that. "Your sister Frannie is married to Ethan Caraway and they have a daughter, Bayleigh."

"Bay for short." Quinn chimed in.

"Right." Artie chuckled. "And though you don't_ plan_ on running into your dad, if you do, he's married to your stepmother, Kayla and I should try not to let her cleavage distract me from her snakebites and tattoos." His fiancé gave a laugh, and then leaned in to peck him on the lips.

"Good job." Quinn looked a bit nervous at the mention of her father. She'd told Artie that every time she came home to Lima, she tried to avoid him at all costs. He didn't really approve of the way she was so distant from him (even though he kicked her out when she was pregnant, she said he was _trying_ to make up for it), but Quinn insisted that she didn't even want him at their wedding.

Artie reached out and took her hand. "Think they'll like me?" he asked quietly, even though he was confident that they would.

She rolled her eyes in response. "My mom already _adores_ you. You just have to get past Frannie…and she's tough, but fair." They sat in silence for the rest of the cab drive, their hands laced together. Then, finally, the taxi stopped at the front of the Fabray household. Artie had never been there before, since all the times he met Judy Fabray, she'd come out to Yale or LA. The house was two stories high, expensive-looking. It blew his family's little brick house out of the water. By the time he and Quinn got out of the taxi with their bags, Judy Fabray was already running down the front lawn.

"Where is my little bride?" she squealed. Her arms were open wide, and she nearly toppled over on the front lawn. _Three years sober…? _Artie couldn't help but wonder. But maybe she was just high on life. He watched as she took Quinn in her arms, and held out her hand to admire the ring. The way Quinn's face lit up at her mother's excitement, Artie had to admit was really stinkin' adorable. The two blondes stood there gushing, speaking faster than was recognizable as English. Judy then turned her attention to Artie, a smile on her delighted face.

"Oh, Artie, I didn't even bother to say anything to you." She reached her arms out once more and took Artie's cheeks into her hands…Now he knew where Quinn got it from. "I still can't believe my daughter is marrying such a fantastic guy. I mean, I knew she had good taste, but…" her voice trailed off into a large smooch on Artie's cheek. "Oh, you two are going to be so _happy_." Judy stood and turned to Quinn, taking her into another hug.

"Mom," Quinn whined, "You promised me you wouldn't cry until the actual day of the wedding." Artie knew why- because Quinn would start crying, too.

Judy pulled back and examined the two of them. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm a mess. When_ is_ the big day, by the way?" Her eyes narrowed as Artie shared a glance with his fiancé.

"Well, you see, um…." He began, but Quinn cut him off.

"Sometime next year." She shrugged.

Judy didn't even attempt to hide her disappointed expression. "Well. That gives us more time to plan then, doesn't it?" she smiled to the both of them. Artie noticed how her eyes wrinkled at the corners, but that never took away from her aged beauty. He could see Quinn looking just like that when she got older. Though, he knew he'd love her even if she was as wrinkled as a prune. He'd love every wrinkle on her body. "Um, your sister's here, but she's inside putting Bay down for a nap." Judy remarked to Quinn. Then, as if on cue, a petite little girl came frolicking down the front yard, her cotton dress and brown curls flapping in the early autumn wind. She looked about four, but a tiny four.

"Auntie! Auntie! Auntie!" she was shouting. Artie gave a laugh as he watched Quinn kneel down to the girl's level with open arms. She was hardly ever this affectionate to anyone but him.

"Bay! Oh, how I've missed you!" she beamed as the girl plunged into her arms. The smile on Quinn's face, the warmness in her eyes…Artie had to remind himself that they weren't even married yet. But…just the way she lit up with a child in her arms….

A blonde woman, a bit shorter than Quinn, but definitely older, with a defined jaw and purposeful look behind her smile came not far behind. Artie guessed Frannie- tough but fair. "We tried to put her down for a nap but as soon as she saw the cab out the window she just _had _to come see you."

"Now, Frances Marie Fabray, is that any way to greet your _movie star _sister?" Quinn gave an exaggerated red carpet pose, her hands on her hips and her lips poking out. Since the movie premiered and hit theatres, the two had been on cloud nine. Their names were credited in a big blockbuster film. It actually did pretty well in theatres to be an adaptation of a Broadway show- not like, Chicago well, but more like…Mamma Mia! well. And they were content.

Artie watched as Frannie's expression softened with her smile widening, to reveal a slight gap in her teeth. "Lucille Quinn Fabray, I _see_ no movie star. All I see is my baby sister playing pretend. Except this time it's not in mom's jewelry box, and actually on the red carpet." Artie watched as the two exchanged sisterly glances before moving in for a hug of epic proportions. Little Bay began tugging on the hem of Quinn's dress.

"Auntie Quinn, did you bring me anything from Los Angel-ies?"

Quinn turned, crouched down to the girl, and gave her signature mysterious smirk. Even toddlers weren't immune to it. "Mmmmaybe." She remarked. "But you have to go say hi to my fiancé before I tell you what it is." Bay's head whipped over to Artie, as if she hadn't even noticed him there before. Then, taken aback by his wheelchair, she recoiled into Quinn's waist.

"I'm sorry." Frannie apologized for her daughter, "She doesn't get out much just yet." Artie couldn't help but chuckle. Spending most of his life in the chair, sure, it was frustrating, but one thing he had to get used to- Not every parent educates their kids about people with disabilities. And while they should, they don't. No use getting bitter or angry about it. Artie merely gave a shrug, and a dismissive smile.

"No problem. She's just gotta get used to it, is all." He turned to the little girl with a warm smile. "Nice to meet you, Bay, I'm Artie." Artie held out his hand for a shake.

Cautiously, Bay held out her tiny manicured hand and shook. "You're Auntie Quinn's fi-nancy?" she whispered. The family gave an uncomfortable laugh, afraid of what she may say next, but Artie and Quinn remained completely unfazed.

"Mmhmm." Quinn answered, putting her hands on the girl's shoulders. "That's called a wheelchair. And if everything works out the way we've planned," she glanced up and gave Artie a knowing glance, ",he won't have to use it for much longer." The family was silent for a few awkward seconds until Judy finally broke it with a clap.

"Well, I've got dinner ready in the kitchen, and I hope Artie likes mac and cheese." She began escorting the group up the driveway and toward the large brick house.

Artie gave a laugh. "Of course I do, Judy."

She turned to him with a smile and put a hand on his shoulder. "Might wanna get used to calling me Mom." With that, his chest tightened- holy cow, these were his future _in-laws._ As he wheeled up the driveway with Bay stealing glances at his chair, Artie felt Frannie accosting him from the left.

"I'm sorry; I didn't even bother to introduce myself. Hi, Artie, I'm Frances." She held a hand out to Artie's, nails painted the same exact color as her daughter's. He took a second to shake her outstretched hand and sent her a smile.

"Well, if we're gonna be in-laws," Artie gave a smirk, "I guess I oughta start calling you Frannie, huh?" She smiled, albeit condescendingly.

"Frances is good." And with that, Frannie- Frances - picked up her daughter and increased her pace into the house. Artie had to shut his eyes and reflect on that for a second…_Tough but fair_, he kept repeating in his mind. With a sister who had been through as much as Quinn, he could see why she'd be protective over her, no matter how independent he had become. Though, he knew for a fact that as long as he had Quinn's heart in his hands and that ring on her finger, she'd be safe from anything that Frannie could possibly be worried about.

It took Artie a few seconds to realize Quinn had trailed back and was now walking next to him. "Don't let Frannie get to you. This is all a test." She whispered. It wasn't exactly like Artie needed her "approval"…But it would be nice to be comfortable around his in-laws for, oh, the rest of his life. He made a mental note that within this week he would gain Frannie's approval.

"I've always done pretty well in tests…" Artie chuckled; high school nerd humor. "…Think I'll pass this one?" Quinn placed her hands on his shoulders and gave them a squeeze.

"I know you will." She placed a kiss on his cheek and ushered him across the front porch and into the house. He was taken aback- the house was even bigger inside. Spotless white walls, marble, baby pictures of the girls placed sporadically about. A redheaded, bespectacled Lucy Quinn Fabray stared back at him. Quinn noticed him staring at the picture- she had been awfully cute, no matter how much she didn't want to admit it. Sometimes she wore her glasses around the apartment, and Artie believed she was just as beautiful, if not more- something about those black-framed rectangle lenses that screamed confidence. He looked up at the Quinn he was engaged to, then back down at Lucy.

Artie took her by the hand. "Gorgeous then, gorgeous now." He smirked. Quinn rolled her eyes at his compliment, but she didn't need to say that it meant a lot for him to know it did.

"Okay, time for dinner!" Judy exclaimed. "I've set the table, so….dig in." Quinn tugged Artie's hand and pulled him into the lavish dining room. He felt like he'd be dining with royalty by the look of the china and chandelier. And he supposed that in a way, he was. Artie maneuvered himself into a seat at the dinner table and pushed his chair behind him. Quinn sat to his left, and Judy sat across from them. Frannie sat to Judy's left, and a tall man with large, dopey ears and neatly coiffed hair sat next to her. Artie figured that was Ethan Caraway, Frannie's husband…Perhaps he could get a few words in with him about what it's like to be an in-law to the Fabray family. And lastly, little Bay sat herself at the head of the table. Oh, she definitely had her aunt's confidence.

The family sat in comfortable silence until everyone was comfortable and seated. When they were, Judy stood with her glass of Coca Cola. She even drank soda out of a wine glass. Artie felt Quinn squeeze his hand under the table, snapping him out of his thoughts. He squeezed back, and the two shared a glance. He watched as her mouth curled up into a sly, secretive smile. He gave her one of his own. Then, Judy began speaking.

"Well…" she began, glancing around the dinner table. "…I'm glad to have my two beautiful daughters here with the loves of their lives. I made this speech three years ago at Frannie's wedding, so I'll spare you two." Artie remembered that speech, since he had been Quinn's date to that wedding. But of course, then they were only friends and he wasn't getting the third degree from her sister. "We're here to celebrate Quinnie's engagement. This family has had its ups and downs..." Judy looked down at the table, then back up with a brighter, happier expression. "…But as of now, we are perfect. Frannie has started her own _beautiful _family. Quinnie is getting married, and hopefully babies won't be too far away." Artie felt Quinn tense up next to him. "And me? Well I, Judith Mae Henderson am three years sober from a long struggle with alcoholism. And while I'm single with an empty nest in this huge house, I'm happy…Because my daughters are happy, and they have very bright futures ahead. Here's to the future." He noticed that she'd reverted back to her maiden name since the divorce. She held up her glass, and everyone held theirs up in return.

"To the future." He heard Quinn repeat quietly, before squeezing his hand under the table once more. Over the next half hour or so, the family ate and discussed just what Judy's speech was about- the future. Mostly the wedding. It was then did Artie truly notice how much the wedding meant to the bride. When Judy asked Quinn what kind of napkins she planned on getting, Artie's mind automatically went to "Who cares?" but the three blonde women in the room had a heated debate between cotton and cotton-linen blend. It was kind of cute, actually, seeing Quinn be so passionate and invested in the event. Every once in a while, Artie would catch an exasperated glance from her…She was quickly becoming overwhelmed, but the best kind of overwhelmed.

After dinner, they all went their separate ways- Judy, Frannie, and Quinn in the dining room flipping through scrapbooks, and while Artie wanted to stay by Quinn's side, she insisted he go watch a football game with Ethan- that he didn't want to hear all the "girl talk".

He took a seat in a loveseat next to the sofa where Ethan sat. The two boys- okay, Artie had to get used to calling himself a _man_- sat in silence until Ethan spoke. "So…Excited to become a part of the family?" His question had a hint of sarcasm in it.

"Excited…terrified…" Artie chuckled. "Any idea how to get on your wife's good side? Q tells me she likes to test her sister's suitors." He watched as Ethan exploded with laughter.

"Sounds like Frannie." He rolled his eyes. "Don't let her scare you."

Artie gave a nod, then dared ask the question. "…So…what's it like? Being married? Especially to a Fabray?"

Ethan's mouth twisted as he searched the ceiling for answers. "Well- married life is awesome…To me, at least. I guess it's different for everyone. And as for being married into this family…Well," he lowered his tone, ",it never stops being intimidating. But after a while, you'll fit right in, I guarantee." Artie gave a nod, a sigh, and a smile. That gave him a nice little boost- he wanted nothing more than to feel like a part of this family for Quinn. He grew up with his mother being hated by his father's side of the family, and Artie never wanted to feel that way, especially with the love of his life.

Out of the corner of his eye, Artie saw Frannie in the doorway. "Ethan, Bay just woke up from her nap and refuses to go back down. Could you…?" He watched as Ethan sprung up from the sofa and nearly jogged upstairs. Artie had no doubt that this was Frannie's way of getting alone time with him. He tried to pretend that she didn't terrify him to the core as she made her way across the room and sat where her husband once sat. Her eyes- a dark green compared to Quinn's light hazel- were intent on him. She didn't say anything, and Artie wondered if she was attempting to read his mind or set him on fire or do something paranormal. But maybe that was just his inner Stephen King speaking.

"My little sister has been through a lot of shit." She said. Artie gave a nod. He knew that. He and Quinn often lay in bed together, sharing their darkest times and just…listening. He truly believed he knew her innermost vulnerabilities. But he couldn't bring himself to admit that to Frannie. Maybe that was her superpower- the power of intimidation. "Heartbreak, giving up her child for adoption, our dad…She doesn't need to add another broken heart to this list." Her eyes narrowed.

Slowly, Artie brought himself to say, "….I know. And I would…_never_ break her heart. I wouldn't dream of it." Frannie examined him once more, and then gave a small chuckle. Her facial expression softened visibly before she turned back to him.

"You _really_ love her, don't you?" she smiled. "…And she loves you to no end. She wouldn't shut up about Artie Abrams the Fantastic." Artie gave an uncomfortable laugh, not able to tell if Frannie had been putting on a tough girl front this entire time or if she was extremely bipolar. "I'm sorry I gave you the third-degree. I'm just _really_ protective over her, and I was kind of hoping to crack this little perfect mold that you've got going on, but…I guess I can't. I'm glad Quinn is marrying someone like you. If that girl brought home another brainless jock, I don't know _what_ I would have done."

Artie was taken aback by her sudden friendliness, but figured he should have been happy- did this mean he passed her test? "Well, scrawny little nerd over here." Artie played it up, adjusting his glasses, even though Quinn insisted that the muscles in his arms were to die for. The nerdier he appeared to Frannie, the better, he assumed. "And I promise that I will never break your sister's heart. You can hold me to that."

Frannie gave a nod and a smile. "I'm glad we had this talk. Expect the most emotional, tearful Maid of Honor speech at your wedding reception, Brother-in-Law." She stood from the sofa and exited the room. And for what felt like the first time in hours, Artie exhaled. He passed.

That night, Artie found himself in Quinn's old bedroom. Judy hadn't changed a thing since she went off to college, so the pink and green teenage girl décor was scattered about. Oh, how he'd dreamt of being in this room all of high school. Quinn came into the room in her nightgown and sat next to him on the bed.

"So…are you willing to risk your sanity to become a part of this family?" she challenged, her head on his shoulder. Artie gave a chuckle.

"I'm already risking my sanity by marrying a woman completely out of my league, aren't I?" he smirked. Quinn gave his leg a swat (that he could feel ever-so-slightly. But she still didn't need to know…not just yet.)

"Untrue." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "They love you, you know." She said quietly.

Artie gave a gratified sigh. "…I know." He smiled.


	13. Meet the Abramses

_"Meeting Artie's family was...an experience, I'll tell you that..."_

Quinn's hands fiddled in her lap, toying with her sun dress nervously. The week she'd spent at home had been a productive one, with plenty of decisions made about the wedding thanks to Frannie and her mom. What kind of flowers to order (lilies and daisies), the color scheme (yellow and white), the fact that it was going to be an outdoor ceremony, much to her mother's dismay. Judy had been hoping for a traditional church ceremony, but Quinn loved the idea of being married under the sun. It only fit, since they had been hoping for a summer wedding. The only details that were undecided were what she and the bridal party would be wearing, and boy did the thought make Quinn's heart flutter. She'd made her first appointment with the bridal shop for January, after she finished taping her newest movie, and she just knew that the second she tried on the first dress, it would all become so real. She'd be _marrying _the love of her life.

"Q?" she heard next to her. Frannie had offered to drive Quinn and Artie to his parents' house, but Quinn insisted on sitting in the back seat with him. She shook her head, coming out of her thoughtful haze.

"Mmhm?"

Artie gave a laugh. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

Quinn bit her lip, searching her mind for what he had said. "Uh, yeah, of course!" she nodded. Really, she'd been lost in thought. She watched as Artie crossed his arms skeptically. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little nervous." She admitted. Quinn heard Frannie snicker from the driver's seat.

A strong, comforting arm wrapped around Quinn's shoulder and pulled her into an embrace. "You got nothing' to be nervous _about_. Mom loves you, dad will love you, _everyone _will love you. And if they don't, they don't get a thank you card for coming to the wedding."

Quinn gave a chuckle. "I don't know…I guess, I'm not going to just be a Fabray anymore. I'm going to be a Fabray-Abrams. This is my future family, Artie. I mean…didn't you feel a little scared meeting my family?" Artie and Frannie both gave a small giggle, and why, Quinn didn't know. Some little inside joke or something, but she didn't have time to inquire about _them._

Sapphire eyes peered at her from behind Artie's glasses, intent, convincing, comforting. "Being an Abrams isn't at all scary or intimidating. If anything, you're just gaining more people to love who love you back." Quinn couldn't stop a small smirk from appearing on her face. The thought was kind of sweet.

"Is this it?" Frannie asked. Artie broke his and Quinn's eye contact to glance out the window.

"Home." He muttered under his breath, though Quinn could hear. She found it kind of insanely adorable how much Artie loved his family. She imagined the inside of the house covered in pictures all of different picture frames (Judy liked to buy every frame of the same set), with report cards on the refrigerator, and size charts on the wall. Maggie Abrams was that kind of woman, warm and loving, with the best sense of humor. Artie got a lot of his from her. Quinn had never met Artie's father. All she knew was that his name was Kenneth and he was supposedly as nice as Maggie was. She only hoped.

"Thanks Frannie," Quinn called to the front seat. She then opened the door of the Toyota Corolla that the girl had since high school and made her way around to the trunk. Frannie turned around and demanded details as to when their flight left, but before Quinn could respond, Artie had already done it for her. And he and Frannie were chatting and laughing and being oh-so-very chummy. Quinn was half-proud and half-weirded out by the ordeal. But at least Frannie wasn't out to kill him anymore?

Artie sent a salutation to his will-be sister-in-law and in no time was by Quinn's side helping with the luggage. By the time they were completely situated, Quinn gave Frannie a goodbye hug through the driver's seat window, and soon she and Artie were on their way up the driveway of the little cottage house.

"Going to warn you now," Artie began, "Mom likes to bake, and she likes people to eat. I swear, if she could open up a bakery, she would. So if you gain like, three pounds while you're here you can blame her."

Quinn gave an exasperated expression. "Oh, thanks!" she exclaimed as they reached the front door. It was such a _family_ house. With a garden, and a doorbell that actually "ding-dong"ed, as opposed to those weird chimes, there was a _pie in the windowsill_ for heaven's sake. This was where Artie grew up. In a sweet, modest, wholesome house, that was just like him.

The door swung open, and there was Mrs. Maggie Abrams, apron on, face stained with flour. "Here come the bride and groom," she sang out. Quinn gave a loud, genuine laugh. Maggie opened her arms and knelt down to take her son into her arms. Quinn could see the tightness of the embrace. Maggie pulled away, but placed a large kiss on Artie's forehead, before turning to Quinn with outstretched arms.

"I'm not going to lie," she began, taking Quinn into a tight hug. The woman smelled like Christmas. Spices, cookie dough, pine needles…Was this the way this house smelled? If so, it must have been Christmas every day in there. "I was waiting on the edge of my seat for my little booger back here to finally pop the question. Ugh," Maggie held Quinn by the hands, and then glanced back at Artie. "I'm so glad you two found each other." Quinn could see the happiness welling up in her eyes, but Maggie refused to let them fall. "God, you just got here and I'm already a wreck. Alright, what are we standing out here for? There are cookies inside!"

Maggie ushered the couple inside, where the first thing that met Quinn was a teenage girl, piercing blue eyes and chestnut brown hair. She bore a striking resemblance to Artie. Quinn didn't like to think she and Frannie looked too much alike- Quinn's jawline wasn't as amazingly prominent as her sister's. The only thing besides gender that distinguished Artie from his little sister (…Quinn wanted to say her name was Kasey.) was the fact that she had a charming little overbite.

"Artie!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around her older brother's neck. Quinn smiled at the scene, when the girl turned back to her. "…Quinn? Well, I mean, of course, I only watched you in The Wild Party a million times." she babbled. Quinn gave a shrugging nod, not really wanting to interrupt the girl. "I'm Kaley. We've heard a lot about you." Kaley hugged Quinn around the waist- Artie's face, Maggie's personality.

"All good things, I hope." Quinn joked, eyeing Artie. He gave a smirk, then flicked Kaley on the arm. "Hey, talk to me. How was freshman year?"

"Oh my God McKinley is amazing. The science program is phenomenal, though I know you already know that, duh. But I just love all of the teachers and my subjects were great."

Artie raised an eyebrow. "So you didn't join glee club like I suggested." Quinn watched as Kaley's cheeks reddened. It was bizarre, actually, since she looked so much like Artie. This girl was talkative and hyper, potentially high-strung. And she was getting shy about singing.

"Artie, you know I don't sing." She muttered, then nodded in Quinn's direction in a "Not in front of her" manner. Artie merely laughed in her face.

"Liar!" he accused. Kaley punched him in the arm, but he responded by tickling her. She erupted with laughter, and Quinn decided it was time to go exploring.

Just as she'd suspected, pictures all over the house of Artie, of Kaley, of Mason, their older half-brother. Artie had confided in her with the fact that his father's family didn't want Kenneth to marry Maggie because she already had a son out of wedlock. He'd implied that all still wasn't right between them, but how happy they all were…Quinn knew they'd gotten through that successfully. That made something click in Quinn's mind. In high school, while they were never really the best of friends, they always understood each other- their hardships, their battles…When most people were judging Quinn for being a pregnant teenager, Artie never dared.

She passed up a glass case full of trophies, plaques, and pictures. Three sets of football players (thanks to that short time Artie was on the football team.), as well as miscellaneous academic awards and things of the like. Kaley had to be some sort of prodigy to have won that many science fairs, but she still wasn't up to Artie's academic awards.

Quinn had decided that perhaps she was done exploring once she reached the kitchen and was about to turn around, but she saw some little markings on the doorway. Well, more than some- a lot, actually. Almost thirty. They went six feet high, and next to the marking at the very top said "Mason, 25 (not growing) 6'1". A height chart. On the opposite wall was Kaley's ,and on the other side of the doorway was Artie's. However, it only reached up to Quinn's waist. "Artie (8 & growing) 3'11" The realization that they'd stopped recording his height after the accident made her heart sink.

Just then, she felt a presence behind her. Quinn turned, to find a tall, older man with a serious expression on his face. His eyes were blue, like Artie's, and his hair was a sandy blonde.

"You must be Quinn." He said through a small, almost nonexistent smile.

Quinn gave a nod, trying to seem as confident as possible. "Yes! You're Mr. Abrams?"

"Please, call me Kenny." He nodded, his expression softening. "Or Dad." Quinn's heart did a flip- how long had it been since she'd called someone 'Dad'? Her father…Russell…she didn't call him 'Dad' anymore, since they hardly spoke. She avoided naming him anything- he didn't have a name anymore. He was just an entity….a nameless entity. The D-word brought back painful memories.

"_Careful not to burn those cookies, Judy. With that honker, Lucy can smell everything."_

"_Dad, that's not funny." _

"_Dad, what do you think of this dress for the chastity ball?" _

"…_A little snug, isn't it? It's alright, we'll get your mom to let it out." _

"_You are the disappointment here!" _

"_But daddy..." _

She then realized that she hadn't responded to him. "…Um yeah." She nodded through a sad smile. Kenny eyed the wall, with all of the markings…where eight-year-old Artie stood at three-feet-eleven-inches.

"C'mere…" he nodded in the opposite direction, toward the living room. Quinn was hesitant to follow, but decided to go along with it. A guy like Artie, charismatic and open and goofy, having a dad like this? Serious…mysterious…closed-off. They stopped in a relatively open area, between the sofa and the television, and Kenny merely stared at the floor. Quinn tried to stare, too, but was confused.

"I'm sorry, Kenny, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be looking at."

"We never stopped." Was all he said. "On Art's ninth birthday, he was really mad that he wouldn't be able to stand up on the wall and have his height recorded…So we continued it..down here. I mean, he'd lie down and he felt pretty silly, but it became routine."

Quinn squinted- now she saw. Pencil marks, almost identical to the ones on the wall, but instead close to the floor, going horizontally. "Artie, 16 (not growing) 5'8". Quinn bit her lip. They never gave up on him. The emotions flooded her. She had been afraid to marry into this family, what they'd think, what they'd do…Russel Fabray gave up on her when he kicked her out of his house. These people didn't give up.

A stray tear escaped her eye, and Quinn thumbed it away before Kenny could see…Or so she thought. He sent her a look with raised eyebrows, but still mystery. Quinn shook her head. "Gosh, I'm so sorry." She chuckled as a few more tears spilled. "That's just…It's really amazing. It's hard to explain…"

But the man pulled her into a hug. "Welcome to the family." was all he said. All Quinn could do was nod, afraid she'd break down into sobs. She was overjoyed. The realization that she was marrying into such a great, loving, selfless family…

"Dinner time!" Maggie called from the kitchen. "The cookies burned, but it's okay- we have pie, too." Artie rolled up to Quinn, and immediately stiffened up in front of his father.

"Dad." He nodded.

"Art." Kenny nodded back. "I must admit, kid, you have great taste in girls." Artie beamed up at his father, then back to Quinn. She sent him an air kiss, which he caught on his cheek as if on cue.

"I'm glad you think so, Dad." Artie nodded. Kenny gave Artie a heavy smack on the shoulder before pulling him in for a hug. The family made their way to the dinner table, and once everyone was situated with a chicken pot pie on their plate, Kenny stood, holding up his glass. The Abrams family drank out of cups that were all different- some were plastic, some glasses, and used different kinds of plates and…Quinn would be lying if she said she didn't love it.

"I don't usually make these sorts of things…" Kenny began, his expression still stone cold. "…But I would guess that a toast is in order. We're all here, and alive. Unfortunately, Mason is still in Europe, but he's promised that he'll be back for the wedding. Speaking of, we're here to celebrate the engagement of Art and his Quinn. To simplify things, I wish them all the happiness in the world." Artie stole a kiss from Quinn's cheek and effortlessly held her hand under the table. The action had become just so natural.

The family raised their cups then began eating. Quinn found herself getting acquainted with the family, getting to know her in-laws. Kenny had worked at NASA, and you wouldn't know from first-impression, but he was a huge fan of rap back in the nineties. He and Maggie even burst into an impromptu performance of Good Vibrations at the table. Artie and Kaley sang a rendition of Teddy Bear by Elvis that Artie apparently used to sing to her when they were little, and Artie was right- she had a very pretty voice. By the end of dinner, he had Quinn singing a complete Lady Antebellum medley with him.

By the time they got to Can't Take My Eyes Off You, Artie's mom was in tears. The song was one of Quinn's favorites, she had to admit…And the lyrics really appealed to their relationship. But she didn't expect to tear the house down like they did, with their giggly-lyrics and melodramatic facial expressions. (to be honest, they both kind of turned into Rachel Berry at that moment) But while they goofed around, the family around them analyzed how engrossed into each other they were- not paying attention to anything but their own silly performance, staring into each other's eyes. When they finished the song, Kaley applauded like mad, and Maggie was dabbing her eyes with her napkin.

"You two are precious!" she exclaimed with red, puffy eyes.

That night, Quinn bumped into Kenny in the hall on her way to Artie's bedroom. "I'm sorry for crying earlier…" she began, "…I mean, the height chart was really _really _sweet, and it touched me."

Kenny gave a nod. "I could tell. That's what we like about you here. I'm glad you and Art found each other." He continued to walk, and while Quinn was still unsure of what exactly they liked about her, she wasn't so anxious about becoming an Abrams. One day with them all, and she'd already felt like one of them. Quinn could really see herself being in their lives forever. She opened the door to Artie's room to find him shooting a mini basketball into a tiny hoop that was suction-cupped to his wall.

"You are ten years old." She chuckled, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and placing a kiss on his jawline. Artie laughed.

"Yeah, well, this place does that to me." He nodded, "So, I know we're crazy and we sing a lot and we talk way too much about science…But did we win you over?" Quinn tightened her hold on his shoulders.

"More than that." She sighed. She was going to marry Artie Abrams, and she was going to be the happiest woman in the world.


	14. The Wedding Quinn's POV

**Sorry for the delay, guys! These last two chapters have been a butt to write, and I was faced with a bit of a dilemma- but I found a happy medium. Thank you for being such dedicated readers, by the way! **

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><p>Frannie's fingers made circles around her little sister's temples. Quinn had her eyes closed, her mind concentrated on the twinkling melody of her favorite childhood music box. She went to it during her times of trouble- the Lucy Caboosey years, her pregnancy, her parents' divorce…The ballerina inside of it spun, around and around, and no matter how dizzy she got, she never stopped spinning. Just the tune of the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy could calm her nerves in a heartbeat.<p>

Speaking of heartbeats, Quinn's was beating a mile a minute. She laid back, her head reclining backward as Frannie circled her temples and her mother put the last few bobby pins in her hair. Today, June 24th, 2018, was her wedding day. She'd be marrying the love of her life, and she knew she wasn't getting cold feet because, well…who would when they were marrying Artie Abrams? But still. The fact that today was pretty much going to be the biggest day of her life so far was scary- an amazing kind of scary, but scary nonetheless.

"It looks beautiful-_ you_ look beautiful, Quinnie." Judy whispered from behind her.

Quinn brought herself to open her eyes. She was afraid that she'd look in the mirror and immediately begin bawling like a child. As soon as she saw her reflection, she was pretty certain her heart stopped. The way her hair (that she had grown out specifically for the wedding) cascaded into a low bun, with loose curls framing her face…her cheeks glistened, and her green eyes shimmered against the neutral eye shadow Frannie had applied. As an actress, Quinn had seen herself made up before, of course- but never like _this. _She nearly glowed.

Surprisingly, the tears didn't show up, and Quinn was kind of proud of herself. A porcelain, unchanging face- like the ballerina- was how she liked to maintain herself, but Artie seemed to bring out the emotional side of her. When Judy placed the clip-in veil onto her hair, the reflection in the mirror really looked like a _bride_…And Quinn could feel the tears welling up inside her eyes. She tilted her head back and was able to stop from ruining her makeup.

"It's waterproof, baby. You can let it out." Judy whispered, wrapping her arms around her daughter's shoulders. But Quinn refused.

"No. I'm good." She shook her head, shaking off the emotions and turning it into a smile. "I'm getting married, mom." She whispered. Judy dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief.

She gave a nod, and squeezed her daughter as tight as she could. "I'm so happy for you." She kissed Quinn on the cheek, and sniffled ever-so-delicately. Frannie placed a hand on Quinn's shoulder, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from the mirror. This was really happening.

"Oh, right!" Frannie exclaimed, as if she'd just remembered. "Something old…" she began. And Quinn couldn't stop giggling. Oh, she was really being this cliché? Frannie disappeared behind a curtain in the hotel room of the venue the three women had stayed in the night before. Quinn could say she was cliché too, since she believed it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding. So she met Judy and Frannie at the hotel after they'd flown out to LA on the eve of her big day to have a big, fat, emotional party of sorts. It was nothing like her bachelorette party that Santana, Brittany, and Mercedes had thrown her, which was wild and crazy and involved much more alcohol than Quinn liked to admit.

Frannie reemerged from the curtain with a shoe box. Out of it, she pulled a hair pin. It was a rustic sort of yellow, and it glistened in the sunlight. "Mom dug it up from her jewelry box because it matched the colors of your wedding and I guess you don't have to wear it in your hair. You can pin it to something, or something." Quinn shook her head, taking the pin into her hands and admiring it.

"No, I'll wear it. It's beautiful." She pinned it into her tresses, where it fit perfectly. Frannie put her hand back into the box, and pulled out a garter.

"You've got a _few _new things, so here's something borrowed. Don't worry; it's washed and _practically _new." Frannie handed it to her, putting Quinn in a fit of laughter. She pulled it up her thigh, waiting for the something blue. "And last but not least…" Frannie pulled a plastic flower from the box. It was a daisy, like the real flowers in Quinn's bouquet, but a beautiful pale blue. "You can put it in your bouquet. It's not too bright, so it won't throw off the colors of your wedding, but you needed a flower in your bouquet to symbolize how your love will last forever."

Quinn gulped back more budding tears as she held the plastic daisy in her hand. "It's perfect, Frannie, thank you so much." She stood and gave her sister a tight hug.

"You're gonna wrinkle your dress, babe." Frannie chuckled as she pulled back.

"It's almost ti-i-i-ime." A voice sang through the curtains. Quinn whipped her head around to find Mercedes, Brittany, and Santana in their yellow dresses identical to Frannie's. The color was always something that brought Quinn happiness, so it was only right that she used it in her wedding. The three women clutched their bouquets and took turns giving Quinn hugs.

Quinn eyed them all- Frannie, Mercedes, Santana, Brittany…"I'm getting married, guys." She said. The more she said it, the more real it became.

"If you need something to calm those nerves," Santana reached into her clutch and pulled out a flask, but Quinn just laughed.

"No, I had enough of that at the bachelorette party."

Brittany gave a shrug. "I dunno, Quinn, I think you're kind of more fun when you're drunk."

"_Thanks_, Britt." Quinn laughed, taking the two girls- women- by the hands. In high school they trumped the halls in their Cheerios uniforms, but now here they were…Bridesmaids in Quinn's wedding.

"It's not too late to back out now." Santana offered, "Because, I mean, jilting him at the altar is even mean for me."

Biting her lip, Quinn shook her head and looked Santana in the eye. "Never. I'm so much in love, Santana. Like, there aren't even butterflies in my stomach right now- there are doves, I swear. I'm so excited. "

"Oh, Q." Santana groaned, "Leave it to you and Four Eyes to actually make me sappy. Lawyers aren't supposed to feel emotions." Quinn pulled the three other women into a group hug until a small rap on the door shook them from their embrace. It was Artie's Best Man and older brother, Mason. Quinn had finally met him earlier on in the day, and he didn't look as much like Artie, but they definitely had similar personalities.

"Sorry to break this up, ladies!" he called in, "But it's time." The sly smile he put on made the doves in Quinn's stomach fly even faster than before. He linked arms with Frannie, and they walked to the ceremony. Noah Puckerman came to get Santana, and made a pit stop to give Quinn a quick hug, followed by Mike Chang who came to get Brittany, and before Sam came to get Mercedes, the girl took Quinn by the hands.

"You nervous?" she smiled. Quinn bit her lip, closed her eyes, and sucked in a breath.

"I don't know _what_ I'm feeling." She gulped. Her mouth was dry, her heart was pounding, and she was getting _married. _She saw her little flower girl Bay run across the doorway, holding her basket and being sure the flowers didn't fall out. That was when Quinn knew that it was _really _almost time.

Mercedes gave a pout. "Well there's a really amazing guy waiting for you at the end of that aisle, and if you don't meet him there, I'll make you."

Quinn cocked an eyebrow at her friend. "Easy for you to say!" she exclaimed, "You're already married. I should've eloped like you." She watched as Mercedes' eyes clouded over. The night she won her Grammy, she and Sam ran to the nearest chapel, and got hitched. No wedding. No guests. Just Mercedes, Sam, and a witness. The simplicity, the intimacy…No hassle. It seemed so much easier.

"No, you want this. This isn't just your wedding, Q. It's your celebration of love! And we're all glad to be here for you." The two women held each other in a tight embrace, until the organ began playing. Quinn could feel her chest tightening. She didn't want to let Mercedes go- she was so amazingly nervous. But Mercedes tore herself from Quinn's clutches and looked her in the eye. "You're gonna be_ so_ happy." was all she said before heading out the door and linking arms with Sam.

Judy Fabray, who Quinn had honestly forgotten was still in the room, stood and took her daughter by the hand. "Ready, baby girl?" she smiled, handing her the yellow bouquet of flowers with one blue, plastic one in it. Quinn gave a gulp and a nod.

"I'm more than ready." She smiled. She and Judy began walking to the aisle. Along the way, Quinn admired everything she could- the white roses she passed, the grass that tickled her toes through her heeled sandals, the summer sun peeking down at her, sending a hot ripple throughout her body. There had never been a more beautiful day in Los Angeles. Quinn tried to relish everything she could before her life changed forever. Before she became Mrs .Quinn Fabray-Abrams. She knew she was ready, but it just had that unreal quality to it…What woman wasn't nervous on her wedding day?

Once they got to the aisle, Frannie and Mason were walking down to the calm acoustic guitar tune that they had chosen for today. Quinn examined the guests…It seemed as though nearly every seat was filled. But she had to remind herself that this was not like doing a play- the audience didn't matter. She kept her eyes shut, not wanting to see Artie until she reached the aisle. She was afraid she'd start crying. They'd pinky swore each other to no tears while saying their vows, a promise that Quinn knew would turn into a challenge once she met him at the end of the aisle.

By the time Bay went down with her flowers, the pastor announced, "Please stand and honor the bride." Quinn opened her eyes- _she_ was the bride. This was _her _day. Every eye of every guest was on her, and for the first time since waking up, Quinn felt no doves in her stomach, only pleasant, eager little butterflies. Because there, at the end of the aisle, was Artie Abrams in his bowtie and suspenders, looking at her like she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. And she knew that she had nothing to be nervous about, anymore- not with him right there.

Quinn sent a glance to the ground, then looked up. Judy squeezed her arm a bit, before the acoustic guitar began playing The Wedding March, and Quinn willed herself to put one foot in front of the other, the organza train of her dress gliding across the white aisle, picking up flower pedals along the way. She could feel the eyes on her- friends, family, friends of family…it was so surreal. But, as cliché as it sounded, Quinn couldn't pay attention to any of them. Arthur Abrams sat just feet away, and she had to hold back from practically _running_ down the aisle. Finally, she reached the end, afraid to let go of her mother's arm.

"Who gives this young woman away?" the pastor asked, smiling at Quinn.

"I do." Judy said, though Quinn could hear the tearfulness in her voice. She gave a sniffle, then excused herself to the seat behind her daughter. The guests sat, leaving Quinn to stand in front of them all, and all she could do was stare Artie in the blue eyes. His smile…it sent a warm chill down her spine, no matter how much that doesn't make sense, and all she could see was him. Her eyes drifted downward to the pale blue daisy in her bouquet before she handed it to Frannie, so she could reach out and hold Artie's hands.

"Shall we begin?" the pastor offered. Quinn gulped, but gave Artie a small, nervous smile. She was about to_ marry_ him…Finally. Artie gave a nod to the pastor, who then cleared his throat and began reading from the book.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…" and soon his voice faded into muffled noise. All Quinn could concentrate on was the beating of her heart, the look on Artie's face, the trembling of her hands in his.

"The bride and groom have prepared their own vows. Let me stand back, and start with Arthur."

Artie hesitantly let go of Quinn's hands to reach into his pocket and pull out a piece of paper, but stopped abruptly. "….Wait." he said, rather loudly. Quinn knit her brows, and could feel her heart pounding even harder than before. What was going on- why did he stop? After rehearsing this wedding four times the previous day, there was no "Wait" in the ceremony.

"Artie, wh-", but he looked up at her with so much intensity, she couldn't speak. It was a look of security, one that told her not to be worried

"….I want to do this…face to face." Then, Mason and Puck walked forward, and let him hold onto their hands…but what did he _mean,_ face to face? Slowly, Artie shuffled his two feet off of the footrest of his wheelchair, which was enough to make Quinn's jaw drop. After over a year of treatment, he'd told her there wasn't any progress. He was what, keeping it a secret?

All Quinn could do was stare in awe as her fiancé pressed his feet to the floor, the strain in his face prominent, and she wanted to tell him that he didn't have to do this- Not if it was too painful. But she could almost _see_ the pressure he was putting on his feet, then his calves, his knees, thighs, and soon they were face to face. Quinn was 5'8 in her heels, and she remembered from Artie's size chart on his wall at home that he, too, was 5'8. They were staring each other clear in the eyes, but somehow, it felt the same. The same comfort as before, the same happiness and connection. Quinn wanted to cry. Sure, Artie was standing- _standing_ – here in front of her, out of breath and in pain and clenching his teeth while Mason ran to the side of the aisle to grab a cane, but she could just see the triumph in his eyes. She wanted to grab him and kiss him and tell him, "You did it!"

But all she could do was cry tears of joy, sucking in gasps of air like a fish out of water. Quinn very well could have been hyperventilating, but she didn't care.

The tears she'd been holding back for hours spilled down her cheeks. She was overjoyed. This, right here, was probably one of Artie's proudest moments. (the first being the _first_ time he stood again, which Quinn was too busy being happy about to be angry about the fact that she wasn't there to witness)

"You know I hate surprises." She whispered to him through tears. The guests, both astounded and excited, gave an emotional laugh at her words. Mason handed Artie his cane, which added some relief to his face once he rested some weight on it.

"Quinn." Artie said, still looking her in the tear-filled eyes. "Quinn Fabray." He gave a grimace, then decided it was probably time to sit back down. Artie lowered himself back into his chair, shakily, then gave Quinn a warm, unstrained smile. Effortless, just as they'd always been together.

"Well, that didn't go as planned." He chuckled breathlessly. The guests gave a laugh along with Quinn, whose tears were still spilling from her eyes. "Alright, well, to the vows." Artie took Quinn's hands, which were stained with mascara (and her mother said it was waterproof). "As you can see, I've been hiding a little somethin'-somethin' from you. And before you kill me for surprising you like that, I just wanted to make this day the most unforgettable for _everyone _here. You know why? Cause I wanted to show _everyone _what happens when you and I are together. Miracles. Every time I look in those big green eyes…every time I hold these hands…every time I kiss you, a miracle happens. And I promise to make every day a miracle. Whether I'm on my feet or back in this chair, whether you're twenty-five or eighty-five. Whether we're making movies or making babies…I swear I'll make every day of your life filled with love and support." He held her hand tightly, almost as tightly as he held onto the cane that he used to stand himself up. "There isn't much more I can promise other than that. Cause I think that's all that matters."

Quinn's heart swelled. Her fiancé was sitting here- he just _stood _in front of her, and those vows…She was shaking all over. She couldn't think of what to say to that…How does someone top that? Artie had described their relationship perfectly- miraculous. Together, they were professional actors and directors, and so many other things they never could've done without each other. She was speechless.

And she had lost the crying bet.

She noticed a sole tear fall from Artie's eye, and couldn't help but giggle. She supposed it was her turn to speak, now.


	15. The Wedding Artie's POV

Artie felt the tear fall down his cheek. _Dammit_, he couldn't help but think. And when Quinn giggled at him clearly losing his shit, he just had to laugh with her. That bet was all down the drain, now that all of his hard work at PT was out in the open. The doctor said the chances of him regaining full mobility were slim (…very slim) , but just being able to contract his muscles the slightest bit to stand and look her in the eye was…the most powerful experience he'd ever had. His stomach was still doing flips, even after he'd gotten to the point where he had to sit back down. And every word of those vows was pouring past his lips, because there was so much he wanted to say, but was able to sum it up nicely- Miracles.

And now he waited for Quinn to regain her composure and speak, though she seemed completely speechless, standing there as they exchanged glances. She opened her mouth many times, but shut it almost immediately after, searching her brain for what to say. He had no doubt that she'd rehearsed these vows at least a million times, like they were a self-written script, but now she was so overwhelmed and probably couldn't remember what she'd planned on saying.

"…I ca-…" she began, "…I'm speechless, Artie. You have blown me away. Not just with what you just did- you _stood_, and I'm still trying to fathom that. But what you just said. My heart is racing a million times a minute, I swear. I want nothing more than to love and be loved by you every day of my life. I've always pictured myself…twenty-five, in a big, billowing white gown, marrying my prince. And here I am today, living out my fairy tale. Like you said, we are…miraculous. You and I both have overcome the odds, and look at where we are today. We've found each other. I'm loved by the most amazing guy on the planet. And all I can promise to you, Artie, is that I will love you forever. _Forever._ I can promise that you will never have to worry about me ever falling out of love with you, because I can tell you right here, right now, that that is never going to happen. I promise that if times ever get tough, I will look back on this moment and remember that I was the happiest girl in the world once upon a time. And I'll use this moment to remind myself why I keep moving on. Because I have you in my life, making miracles happen." Her green eyes sparkled in the sunlight, glistening with tears. The sun was setting to the side of them, and it cast a peachy hue over the whole event. Artie had never seen a more beautiful sight.

He was lucky he'd only shed a tear or two, compared to Quinn's buckets. His tactics may have been cheating, but he won that bet.

The pastor stepped forward, a smile nearly plastered on his face. "Now we must exchange the rings. Artie, repeat after me."

Artie leaned to the side to take the ring box from his big brother, Mason, which held the two pristine little wedding rings in it. He plucked Quinn's out, and rolled it between his fingers a few times. This was it. It was quite silly, he thought, how something so symbolic (and really didn't mean a thing, right? He didn't need a ring to prove that he loved this woman.) sent such a nervous jolt up and down his body.

"With this ring…"

Artie bit his lip anxiously. His hand was steadying, now, and instead of being nervous, he was excited. "With this ring…"

"I thee wed."

He slid it into Quinn's slender ring finger, on top of her engagement band. "I thee wed." he beamed up at her. She was staring at him with intense eyes, rimmed with red from all the crying. He could tell that she was in utter disbelief, too.

"Now, Quinn. With this ring…"

"With this ring…." She repeated, her voice quivering and soft.

"I thee wed."

"I thee wed." Carefully, Artie held out his ring finger to her, to make it easier for her to slide the band on. Once it was on, they clutched hands tightly, awaiting the next words from the pastor.

"Arthur, do you take Lucy Quinn Fabray to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

In his ideal fashion, Artie clucked his tongue and raised an eyebrow. "What kinda' question is that?" the guests laughed and applauded and cheered, before he softened his tone and looked up at Quinn, who was chuckling, too. "…Of course I do." He said, looking her straight in the eyes.

"And Quinn, do you take Arthur Abrams to-"

"I do! I do, I do, I do!" she interrupted. The guests erupted once more, as well as the pastor. Artie gripped her hands even tighter, ready to pull her to him for that kiss…their first kiss as husband and wife.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now share your first kiss as spouses."

Artie pulled her to him, and their lips finally met. A small, simple kiss, ("No tongue! We have family out there." Quinn had warned him) but it meant so much. As electrifying as the first kiss they'd shared, that afternoon, in the dorm room, watching Serendipity. As passionate as the kiss they'd had on the blanket at the outdoor movie theatre. And every bit as promising as the kiss they'd had on the day of the proposal. All of that times a billion.

Once they pulled back, Artie couldn't help but let out a loud "Whoo!" He'd done it. He'd gotten married to the love of his life, and from now on, everything was going to be easy, because he had Quinn Fabray by his side, every step of the way. He had her to comfort him during stressful times, to share rainy days inside, watching movies and drinking tea. They had each other to fight with, and ultimately make up with, because everyone knows making up is the best part of fighting.

Quinn responded with a yelp of her own, throwing her arms up and swinging them over her head. "We did it!" she chuckled to him. He kissed her once more.

"We did it."

Hours later, the reception was going strong well past ten o'clock. Their first dance had been magical- An intimate waltz of sorts to So Close by Jon McLaughlin. Quinn sat on his lap; they pressed their heads together, and moved to the music, Artie wheeling them across the dance floor, whispering little comments to each other. "We're married.", "I love you.", all of the usual things couples say to each other.

Now, the bouquet had been thrown. Both Brittany _and _Santana caught it. For some reason, Artie thought they may have planned that. He and Quinn sat across from each other, eating a piece of their wedding cake, and gazing into each other's eyes, holding hands underneath the table. The sound of glasses clinking snapped them out of their silent conversation.

"Speeches! Alright, everybody, listen up!" Santana shouted over the crowd. She stood in her yellow dress, the only person who couldn't look absolutely cheery in that color. "So the Maid of Honor gave her speech earlier tonight, and it was all touching and stuff because she's Quinn's sister. But me," the guests gave a collective chuckle, "….I'm not a touching person, and I'm going to tell it how it is." Artie couldn't help but exchange a worried glance with Quinn. "I met Quinn the summer before high school started, at cheer camp. I had to admit, she was pretty badass when it came to sky splits, and I saw her as a threat nearly my entire high school life. But, y'know, now that I look back on it, we ran that place. But it wasn't until Q began seeing Four-Eyes over there," Artie gave a glare (with all four of his eyes), ",did I ever see the real Quinn. This hotshot actress chick who sometimes likes to laugh and be carefree and not be a porcelain doll…And I gotta say, I like this new Quinn. She's just as much of a badass." The guests whooped and hollered, making Quinn blush from across the table. "I'm glad they found each other, she and Artie…Because I doubt that Ice Queen Fabray and Four-Eyes would have been compatible with anyone else. Felicidades, chica." Santana raised her champagne glass, and winked at the two of them.

The rumble of the chattering guests was interrupted by yet another clinking glass. This time, it was Puck. Oh, God, Artie chuckled. What could he possibly have to say? "I could say that I know both the bride and groom pretty well." He raised an eyebrow, and Quinn pursed her lips. This wasn't the time to be bringing up the Beth situation, Artie could tell. "…And, well, they're two of the best people I know. They've been through a lot of shit- excuse my language, and to see them rise above the way they have…I know it's because they have each other. The guy that I used to lock in port-a-potties, a film director. My ex-girlfriend, a Hollywood actress. And now they're married, and they're happier than either of those jobs make them. And I hope they're comfortable with me freeloading off of them all the damn time." Artie let out a large laugh with Quinn and the guests. He knew Puck was kidding, but honestly? That guy could freeload whenever he wanted. "Mazel-tov, guys." He raised his glass, then sat back down.

Artie took Quinn by both hands, and gave a smirk. "Has it set in yet?" he asked. She looked down at her lap, then back up at him.

"I don't know. I don't feel all that different. I mean, I'm ecstatic and the happiest person in the world…but I still feel like I did the day we went on our first date." She gave a shrug, raising her eyebrow. Before Artie could respond, he felt a pair of hands take him by the head and a pair of lips on his forehead.

"That's the key to a good marriage!" Maggie Abrams exclaimed. "Though, with this kid, you won't have to do much pretending that he's still nineteen. He acts it plenty enough." Artie laughed at his mother's rather embarrassing sense of humor.

"Oh, ma." He chuckled, kissing her on the cheek. She knew all along of his trips to PT, so she wasn't passed out in the seats when he stood at the ceremony.

"Thanks, Maggie." Quinn stood and hugged the woman. "I'll be coming to you for more advice than you've got planned." she laughed.

But Artie's mother just shook her head. "Nuh-uh, I'm always prepared. Now, I'm going to go grab a piece of that cake." She left them both with a kiss on the cheek before running up to the table where the half-eaten cake sat.

Quinn came around the table and sat herself in Artie's lap. "I love you, Artie." Was all she said, "So much." She then placed a kiss on his lips.

"And I you, Mrs. Abrams."

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><p><strong>Everything from here will start going a lot faster, and have bigger time jumps. Just a warning. <strong>


	16. It's Been a Year

**Hey, guys! I'm so sorry for this huge gap between entries. I'm in school again, and I'm trying my hardest. This story's my baby- I'd never abandon it. =]**

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><p><em>"Our one-year anniversary was somethin' else, I'll tell you that..."<em>

A belly full of Italian food, Artie rolled up to his and Quinn's Hollywood apartment. Her hand rested on his shoulder, the diamond on her ring finger glistening in the moonlight. He gave a sigh. It was hard to believe that one year ago, he made this woman his wife. Since then, so much had gone on, it felt like just yesterday. Both of them began gaining some notability in Hollywood, and were traveling back and forth, stealing kisses between movie premieres and hastily holding each other's hands between commercial shoots. It was so much strain on their marriage- they had to set aside a few months just for them. They'd talked it over about seven months in, and they wanted a baby.

And, well, while that was fun…It wasn't very successful.

Months of trying, and for some reason it just wasn't happening. Artie was convinced it was him- It wasn't uncommon for people with disabilities, and it was kinda hard to think that he could be...sterile. But after consulting the doctor, he and Quinn found out that it was a combination of things- not just his disability, that was making it hard for them. They were both under a lot of stress with their jobs, which was a really big problem for the both of them, so they were kind of at a standstill.

But baby or no baby, they spent their one-year anniversary at a swanky Hollywood Italian place. And in true Ohio fashion, they ordered…spaghetti. But dammit, it was the best plate of spaghetti Artie had ever had. He'd wanted to splurge and get some dessert, too, but Quinn made him promise that they'd share the top tier of their wedding cake as dessert to see if it tastes as sweet as it did a year ago.

Quinn opened the door and Artie rolled in after her. Before him was their little dining room, dimmed, with nothing but candles and the top tier of their wedding cake on the table.

"When did you have time to do this?" he chuckled.

Quinn gave an innocent little shrug. "I have my ways. Now park yourself. We're exchanging presents." She kissed him on the cheek, her long blonde curls tickling his collarbone. She'd dressed up for the occasion, now that she had designers wanting her in their clothes all the time. Well, he couldn't blame them- Quinn was beautiful before, but now that Hollywood's gotten to her, she's somehow become even more glamorous. The forest green wiggle dress she wore to dinner tonight, along with her soft curls said it all. And Artie was breathless every time he looked at her.

Carefully, Quinn lit the candles. Artie watched as the wax began to drip slowly, only accentuating the fact that they weren't speaking a mile a minute like they usually were.

"So I guess this is where we exchange gifts." Artie proposed, trying to kill the silence. Quinn was never silent…

"Mmmhmm." She nodded.

Artie narrowed his eyes. "Or…do you wanna eat cake first?"

She shrugged.

"What's going on, woman? You've been like this all night!"

Quinn gave a laugh. "Okay, let's do gifts first. I'll go second." She gave a nod. Artie reached behind the couch and pulled out his gift- a rectangular turquoise blue box with a white ribbon. He'd always dreamed of buying the love of his life a Tiffany's charm bracelet, and now here it was. The look on her face was priceless- the look most girls would give when presented with a Tiffany & Co. box. She took it, and opened it and gave a long, romantic sigh.

"It's so beautiful." She nearly whispered. Artie gave a shrug and a pop of the collar.

"You know how I do." He shrugged. Quinn leaned over the table and strained herself to kiss him on the lips.

"I'll add a charm for every year we're married." She said, her green eyes sparkling in the firelight. "God, it's so beautiful. I mean…I feel a little silly for what I got you now. It's…nothing, really."

Artie rolled his eyes- did she really think he cared? "Is that what all this is about? That you didn't know what to get me? I swear, Q, I'll love whatever it is." He held her hand across the table, and stared into her flickering eyes.

"Alright. I can't guarantee you'll like it." She sighed, taking her giftwrapped bag from beneath the table.

Artie took the bag in his hands, anxious to see what could've been so bad about her gift. He maintained a smirk on his face before reaching in and pulling out what felt like a packet of papers.

"Let me explain for a second." Quinn's ever-present smirk was in its usual place on her mouth as she spoke, "Since your eyes are always glued to your laptop while you're typing up a script or something, or sending ideas to your writers and blah blah blah…" he gave a laugh at her indifference to his job, "…I thought I'd make light of the situation and write you a little script of your own. The title I've got is quoted from your proposal speech…It's called 'Head Over Wheels' because that is pretty damn catchy." She shrugged.

Artie gave a laugh. Oh boy, was he excited to read this. As he skimmed it, he came to find that it was composed of different scenes depicting the most important moments of their relationship. Meeting up at Yale, the duck pond, the proposal, the wedding…But there was something that came after the wedding? It wasn't much of a scene. It went halfway down the page...maybe an epilogue.

"_[Quinn sits in her bathroom, her heart pounding a mile a minute. Artie was away in Europe working on a movie, and is here fiddling with her pajama top, anxiously awaiting the results of the test that lay next to her.]_"

Artie's heart kind of sank. This sounded like the way she described to him one of their failed pregnancy tests, which were followed by tears and tears and neverending tears.

"_[The timer goes off, and her heart skips a beat. This is it. Time to find out if she is going to be a mother. Carefully, Quinn reaches to the side and pulls up the pregnancy test. Slowly, steadily she looks down, and two purple lines stare back at her. One is pretty faded, but it's there. The doctor said that the faded line counted most of the time. And there it was…two purple lines. Positive. Quinn nearly jumps for joy, and is so anxious to tell Artie…But decides it would be better suited to reveal in a week, on their one-year anniversary.]_"

It took Artie a few moments to realize that he wasn't breathing.

"Yeah, I'm not much of a writer, sorry." Quinn shrugged nonchalantly. "So how about this cake?"

Artie blinked, then sucked in a large breath. "Um, I'm sorry, does this say what I think it says?" His heart was beating so fast, he could hardly function right now. He watched her face rise up and smirk at him.

"You know how they say the moment you stop trying, it just kind of…happens?"

Artie shook his head slowly, to be answered with Quinn's slow nodding.

Then, the words that changed his world, "I'm pregnant."

He could've jumped for joy! Hell, he almost did. But the stem-cell wasn't working that well , and was actually at a bit of a standstill for the last year, but he never stopped trying. But holy crap, his wife was…was carrying a child!_ His_ child! _Their child._ Quinn began laughing.

"I could barely hold it in for a week, you don't know how painful it was to wait for this moment, but…oh, the look on your face is so worth it." She spoke through her chuckles. He could see the happy tears welling up in her eyes as she stood and came over to him. Artie could barely speak…he was speechless. He was…going to be a dad?

When she stood in front of him, Artie felt this gravitational pull of sorts to her belly. It was so flat…There couldn't be a little bundle of cells in there that in a few months would grow, and grow and grow until finally it would be welcomed into the world with open, loving arms and just….Life.

Suddenly, Artie became aware of all of the life around them. Him, Quinn, the bouquet of roses that sat on their kitchen counter, every cell and germ and amoeba that crawled around their apartment…Life. And Artie just stared at Quinn's stomach through her green dress.

"I'm going to be a dad." He whispered to her. Quinn through her arms around him, laughing at his blatant lateness.

"We're going to be parents and we're going to be perfect." She exclaimed. He saw the hopefulness in her eyes. Ever since she hadn't been able to keep Beth, he could tell that she was afraid of how she'd be when presented with the actual opportunity of being a parent. But now she just looked so full of hope…she wasn't afraid anymore. And neither was he.

"We'd better be, Mama!" he exclaimed back at her. The two fell into a fit of laughter and kisses and rejoicing. They couldn't wait.


	17. Eli

"_Honestly? The happiest day of my life." _

It was a pain; a pain that Quinn had only felt once before in her life. She had been painting the walls of the baby's nursery the palest blue she could find. If Artie had a say, their little baby boy would be residing in a royal racecar blue room, but Quinn read that rich blues like that could make a person sad. She didn't want a sad baby. So sky blue it was. The room was nearly finished, and she had been painting a few clouds, adding to the ethereal setting. Her little baby boy was a gift from Heaven, and she'd wanted him to feel as at home as possible.

Taking time off of work was hard, but she knew that it would be worth it in the end. At that time, Artie was out filming, and assured her he'd be back in time for the due date- February 20th. But just to be sure, he paid for Judy Fabray to fly to LA and keep an eye on her daughter. Quinn had known for sure that she didn't need a_ babysitter_. But it was nice to have someone with her, especially her mom, in her new big Hollywood house. It was no mansion, but two stories and three bedrooms? That's pretty ideal.

And then the pain came. Quinn dropped her paintbrush on the wooden floor beneath her, it was so excruciating. It didn't take her any time at all to notice that the seat of her yoga pants was now wet. Quinn looked down at her bulging stomach beneath her- Two weeks early? No, it couldn't be. "Mom!" she called.

"Yes, dear?" Judy replied from downstairs.

"My water just broke." This was now the second time in her life Quinn had uttered those words to her mother, and she waddled around the room looking for her flip flops. It was cold out, but it was California- flip flops in February was perfectly reasonable.

Judy came rushing up the stairs. "Are you sure? It's two weeks early!"

Quinn raised an eyebrow, having none of this. "Unless I just peed my pants, Mom, I'm pretty sure my water broke." She put her flip flops on and waddled down the stairs, her stomach twisting and turning. _Hold on there, little guy._ She mentally willed her baby. She and Artie had been so busy; they hardly had time to think of a name. For now, he was "Little Guy".

Her mother followed closely behind with the hospital bag on her shoulder. "Slow down, you shouldn't be moving too fast right now, Quinnie."

Quinn felt her muscles clenching inside of her, and had to lean onto her mother for support as they exited the front door and stood near the car. "Mom, call Artie."

"It's illegal out here to talk while driving, dear." Judy said after sitting Quinn into the passenger seat. Quinn grit her teeth. Was she really obeying the law right now? Maybe it was the pain talking, but she nearly grabbed her mother by the collar.

"I'll call him then." She muttered, snatching the cell phone from her mother's coat pocket. Judy sat in the driver's seat and began to drive as fast as she could to the hospital while Quinn called her husband- if he couldn't make it back in time for the birth, she'd just _die._

"Hey, hot stuff!" Artie answered on the other end. Quinn couldn't help but smile through the pain.

"Not so hot right now." She chuckled.

"Oh yeah?"

"Well, my water just broke." She shrugged, knowing he couldn't see. A loud cracking noise blared in her ears, and she assumed Artie had dropped the phone as she had dropped her paintbrush.

After hearing a bit of scrambling, Artie's voice was loud and clear. "Th-the the baby's coming?" he panted.

She couldn't help but give a chuckle. "Yeah! You're- ow. You're gonna be a dad pretty soon."

"Oh my…Do you think I'll be able to make it in time?" he asked hurriedly.

Quinn estimated the time in her head- Toronto was about four hours away? Most likely. "Yeah. I don't- ugh, ouch. I don't know how long I'll be in labor but it can't be too soon."

"On my way, Mama." Quinn could hear the phone pulled away from his mouth a bit as he shouted, most likely to the cast and crew of his new movie, "Hey y'all! My wife's in labor! Whoo!" Quinn hung up with a laugh, then was able now to focus on her labor…okay, well, the labor pains.

"You okay, hun?" her mom asked, trying her best not to speed or run any red lights, which she tended to do under stressful driving.

Quinn sucked in a breath, her hands resting on her giant belly. "Yeah, mom, I'm-aaaaaahhh." She hissed a breath and shut her eyes tight at the contraction.

"You act like this is your first baby." Judy laughed, jokingly. Quinn knew it was a joke, really. She had been making that joke for nine months. But this time, she couldn't hold it in any longer.

Tears filled her eyes, followed by a sniffle. "It _is_, mom. It is. I'm about to push out a baby two weeks early, and I don't know what to do after I breathe and push and- oh, ow. Ow. Ow." She wiped her tears, biting her lip. "How am I going to _raise _a baby? Giving birth is the easy part."

Judy looked her daughter in the eye, and took her by the hand, keeping the other on the steering wheel. "You'll do it perfectly. You have Artie, and me, and Frannie, and we'll never let you feel like you don't know what you're doing. "

By then, they were pulling into the ER.

"_Now, I'll spare you the dirty details…"_

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><p>Quinn laid in the hospital bed, aching all over. The anesthesia was wearing off, and her precious baby boy was asleep in the nursery. She wanted to hold him. Eight pounds, five ounces, twenty-three inches long. Ten fingers, ten toes, and a bald head. So far, his eyes were a crystal blue- like Artie's, but she knew that could change in the future, so she didn't count on it.<p>

Artie had rolled in right before Quinn started pushing- he was there to see it all, and nearly fainted once she was crowning. Now, he was better, and probably still staring at the baby in the nursery.

He had no name yet. As Quinn was pondering names, the nurse came in, holding her precious baby. "Look who's awake." The nurse said in a sing-song. "You want to feed him, or are you tired?"

Quinn sat up in bed, tired, but with a smile on her face. "I'll feed him." She'd had a lesson on breastfeeding a few hours earlier, and figured she'd mastered it. Artie came in a few paces behind the nurse, and had a blue balloon in his hand.

"Sorry to get even more cliché than passing out the cigars in the waiting room, but…The room didn't feel complete without one a'these."

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at her wacky husband. "Thanks so much." She whispered, sarcastically, as the baby latched onto her breast and began to nurse from her. "He still needs a name." She looked up at Artie with tired eyes. He searched the room for the perfect name to name his son.

"Well, you said Elliott when we were brainstorming the first time. Kinda like that."

Quinn shook her head. "No, because then I realized I'd end up thinking of Scrubs every time I say his name. But I do love E names...They're uncommon for boys."

"Gotta have swag though." Artie chuckled. "Hey, let's name him after my favorite character from anything ever- Frodo from Lord of the Rings."

It took all of her strength to push Artie's head away jokingly, and it was worth it, because soon they were in a fit of laughter. "Um, no." Quinn said through painful giggles. "Besides, my baby looks nothing like Elijah Wood."

"Elijah." The nurse piped in.

Both Quinn and Artie looked at the girl, young, with large glasses and curly brown hair. "It's an E name and it's got…'swag'." The word sounded so funny coming from her mouth, but Quinn shared a glance with Artie.

"Elijah….Eli." she looked down at the baby, close to his face, and he looked up at her with bright blue eyes for a split second.

"Eli." Artie repeated. "I like it…Eli."

Eli soon detached himself from Quinn's breast and dribbled some milk from his mouth before falling fast asleep. Quinn adjusted his little blue beanie on his head and admired his sleeping face. He was hers. And she was his mother, and…her heart was filled with so much joy. Now that he had a name, it all felt so real.

"I think he likes it." The nurse whispered, "He was able to hold down his food." Artie and Quinn gave a laugh, then both looked down at their little Eli.

Elijah Lucas Abrams. Eight pounds, five ounces. Twenty-two inches long. Ten fingers, ten toes. All hers.


	18. Christmas

_**Hey, all. This chapter is going to be pretty short, because it's just a little fluffy Christmas present to all of you for being so awesome. =]**_

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><p>The baby monitor began sounding off, the cooing of their baby ringing in their ears. Artie rolled over to kiss Quinn on the back of the neck. "Merry Christmas, babe." He whispered to her. She turned to him, groggy, her green eyes tired. They'd been taking turns all night getting up with Eli, who for some reason was super restless. He didn't <em>know<em> he'd be getting presents in the morning- it was his first Christmas. Maybe all the holiday cheer surrounding him got him hyper. That was probably it.

"Merry Christmas." Quinn answered, a smirk on her face. She placed a kiss on his lips before rolling out of bed and nearly running down the hall in her nightgown. Artie tried to follow as best as he could, standing for a brief moment, then plopping down in his chair once more. He rolled behind her, to find Quinn with Eli in her arms, dancing around the room.

"…Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves…" she sang to the smiling baby boy. His blonde hair wisped over his previously bald head, and his blue eyes always lit up whenever his mother sang. It may have only been ten months, but Artie could already tell Quinn was a fantastic mother, and that the next seventeen years (and counting) of bringing up a child would be hard, but so worth it.

"And a partridge in a pear tree!" Artie exclaimed, entering the baby blue nursery.

"Let's go see what Santa got you!" Quinn suggested in mock-surprise to their dumbfounded baby. He was so excited despite the fact that he hardly knew what was going on. Artie held his arms out and soon the bouncing boy was in his lap. He touched Artie's face, grabbed his glasses, the usual things that he did. Artie couldn't resist his little cooing voice as he "Oooh"ed and "Aaah"ed. He had to let him take his glasses.

Eli twisted them in his hands, trying to learn what they did…what was their purpose? Why did Daddy have to wear them? He had learned so much in his first ten months. He was developing the want to discover from both parents, Artie could see. Eli wriggled down from the seat, leaving Artie's glasses in his lap, and began to crawl away. But before he got very far, Quinn scooped him up and walked him to the Christmas tree.

Quinn watched as her little baby boy's blue eyes lit up when he saw the Christmas tree, still lit from the night before. The tree was overflowing with gifts, and his tiny little stocking (hung by the chimney with care, as well as a few pricks in Artie's thumb from the tack that was used) spilled over with teething rings and baby toys and all the stuff that he probably didn't understand. He just knew that there was a room full of stuff, and that the Christmas tree was shining so bright.

She decided that for now, it could be fun to just sit him down and see what he does. She sat him on the floor, to which Eli gave a coo, then sat there. Quinn chuckled, but then heard Artie clear his throat. He sat in the doorway to the kitchen, under a leaf of mistletoe that she didn't even know was in her house. Quinn couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and laugh. "Where'd that come from?"

"Santa gave us a gift too, obviously." Artie smirked. Quinn rolled her eyes, then jogged over to him.

Sitting on his lap, Quinn looked up at the mistletoe. "You are so cheesy." She laughed. Artie just gave a shrug before puckering up. Quinn's lips met up with his and stayed there for a while, until Artie pulled away first, which hardly ever happened. So it was then that she noticed something was up. He gazed, dumbfounded in the direction of the Christmas tree. Quinn followed the direction of his eyes, and found their baby boy, lifting his foot to make step. Quinn clenched onto Artie's shirt, watching him intently. Eli put his foot down, then lifted the next, then continued the pattern until he was walking (walking!) to the Christmas tree.

"You go, little buddy!" Artie exclaimed after his son. Quinn hopped off his lap, then ran to the fireplace.

"Camera, camera, camera…" she repeated under her breath. Finally, she found the camera on the kitchen counter. But by then, Artie had already scooped the boy up from the floor and was celebrating with him.

"You're walking, man! Walking!" he laughed, as he held Eli up into the air in an airplane position, "vroom"ing and looking all-around elated. Quinn couldn't help but give a small smile to the two of them. A video of Eli's steps could wait. This was where the true Kodak moments were. She held the camera up to her eye, then hovered her finger over the button.

"Say 'Merry Christmas' !" she shouted to her two men, but Artie was too busy turning his son into an airplane. Quinn just laughed and snapped the picture. Merry Christmas indeed.


	19. Batman & Robin

"_The first time I was alone with the kids… Um…"_

"Should you be on your phone while you're on the plane right now, babe?" Artie chuckled into his own cell phone. Quinn was on an airplane on her way to England to film a movie, and she was having complete separation anxiety from her kids. Eli, now a four-year-old and his little sister Ramona Arlene (Rae for short), only six months old, were all Artie's for the next two months. He had to admit, he was a little nervous, but he'd called in for backup. His mother, Quinn's mother, plus Kaely all flew out to LA to help. Unfortunately, Artie had spent the duration of the first few months of Rae's life- she was born premature and it was becoming a trend for him to be out of the country at the time of the birth of his children now that he had obtained notoriety in Hollywood- going to and from Canada, filming a movie. He liked to say he knew all about this little girl, but…He honestly didn't. Not yet.

He could almost hear the anxiety in her voice. "Artie…" was all Quinn said, "…Remember that Eli can't sleep without a night light. His bedtime is eighty-thirty. Sharp. And Rae likes to be sung to sleep. And you can't feed her a dessert baby food before dinner or else she just won't eat."

"Q. I got your mom, my mom, and my sister here. You think a guy can't handle two months alone with his kids? I'm gonna have more trouble missin' _you_." He could sweet-talk his way out of this, he was sure. "I got this!"

Quinn gave a sigh on the other end. "…Okay. If you need anything, please call. I don't care what time it is here or there, if anything happens_, call me_. ",she persisted. Artie laughed once more, picturing her worried face.

"You've got nothin' to fret about, baby." Did she? "Now call the stewardess over and order a whisky on the rocks to calm your nerves. Cause you can't show up to the set as tense as this."

After a moment of hesitation, "Okay."

"Good. Love you." Artie smiled, though she couldn't see over the phone, obviously.

"Love you, too. Give Eli and Rae kisses for me." She pleaded.

He laughed, "Sho thang. Bye."

"Bye."

Finally, after talking his ear off for about a half hour, Artie could move. He wheeled into the family room where Judy Fabray and Maggie Abrams were sitting on the couch taking turns feeding Rae.

"Oh, Artie, she's so beautiful…" Judy gave a sigh.

"Isn't she, though?" Artie couldn't help but agree as he rolled up to them. The girl was drinking in Judy's lap but as soon as Artie came into view, her big brown eyes rolled up towards him and she reached an arm out. Artie was shocked that she'd become so attached to him even though he was barely there at the earliest stages of her life. But hey, he wasn't complaining.

"She's got your eyes, Ma." He smiled up at Maggie.

"You think I didn't notice that?" she teased, "I brag about it every day to the girls at work."

Artie placed his finger inside his daughter's palm; in return she squeezed, detached her mouth from the bottle and moved his finger to her mouth. The poor girl was teething, having already sprouted her two bottom teeth, but her gums were swelling once more, and she'd been fussy for a few days. It was only a matter of time until the next tooth would come in.

"D'awe," Artie chuckled at her, scooping her up into his arms. "You don't want that. Here, take your binkie." He reached into her playpen and pulled out her pacifier, placing it in her mouth.

"Artie!" Maggie exclaimed, as if he'd just stabbed someone right in front of her. She ripped the pacifier from Rae's mouth and ran it over to the kitchen sink. The girl started crying immediately.

"What the hell, Ma?" Artie questioned.

Maggie gave him a skeptic look from under her glasses. "You didn't sterilize it before you gave it to her." She walked back over to them and placed it back into Rae's mouth to silence her. "And don't talk to your mother that way." She said, pointing a finger to her son.

Artie rolled his eyes. "Sorry, Mom." He was thirty years old and she still treated him like he was sixteen.

He loved her so much.

"You've gotta be more conscious of these things, Artie." Chimed Judy, "Babies this young are like magnets to disease."

He drew in a breath- this may have been harder than he anticipated. Just then, a little figure ran into the room, his blonde hair a blur because of the speed, his tiny bare feet hitting the hardwood floor with a soft pitter-pat. Eli was usually a very calm kid, but once Aunt Kaely was around, he was a different person.

"Tag, you're it!" Kaely shouted as she took the kid in her arms.

"Hey, buddy!" Artie called to his son, "Look who's up." Eli loved his little sister. To him, she was this precious, fragile thing that no one could touch. When she cried, the fear in his eyes was prominent. And though Artie knew that this would turn into a sibling rivalry in only a few years' time, it still but a warm, fuzzy feeling in his heart.

Eli hopped down from Kaely's arms and ran over to Artie. "Can I play with her, Daddy?" he asked in his sweet, quiet voice. Artie buckled the baby up in her bouncer, complete with a mobile for playing, and shrugged.

"Knock yourself out, kiddo." He gave his son a tickle before sending him on his way. Artie loved to see how much of Quinn there was in that boy. He had her hair, the shape of her eyes, her lips… And the color of his eyes was a turquoise blue, a mix between the two of them. The only thing he fully got from Artie was his bad eyesight. He'd have to be fitted for glasses soon.

"Not too long, though." Judy pointed to the clock, "It's almost your bedtime." What time did Quinn say his bedtime was? …8:00 or 8:30? Artie's mind went into panic mode. Had he already forgotten? He glanced at the clock for a clue. It was 8:15…So, that must of meant that his bedtime was in the next quarter. He gave a sigh of relief, and then patted himself on the back for remembering.

Over the next fifteen minutes, Artie and Kaely played with the kids while the grandmas cleaned up the place. By 8:37 Eli was in bed, with his night light, and by 9:00 Rae was in her crib, sung to, and sound asleep. The three ladies of the house congratulated Artie on a semi-successful first day alone with his kids. He felt so good about himself, he sent Quinn a text just to gloat:

"_Day 1: Success! " _

Quinn replied sometime in his sleep, since he crashed at around 10:30 anyway. His bed felt weird when it was empty.

At some point in the night, Eli came into the master bedroom, moaning "Mommy, I can't sleep." Artie, in his sleepy haze, told the boy to go lay down.

"Mommy's on a plane, remember? Going to England. Just like how I used to go to Canada. Go back to sleep, bud." He said.

A few minutes later, the house alarm went off.

The ringing rang all throughout the house, and Artie was just certain someone had broken in. There were only two occasions when the alarm went off like that- Someone broke in, or someone went out while the alarm was on, causing it to believe that someone came _in._

After maneuvering himself into his chair, Artie grabbed the baseball bat he kept under his bed with a trembling hand- Was this person dangerous?

But before he could reach the hallway, his mom ran in, with a terrified look on her face.

"Mom, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Eli's gone." She blurted, her big brown eyes filled with tears. "And the front door was open. We think he might have gone out by himself."

Artie dropped the baseball bat, sending it crashing onto the hardwood floor with a deafening sound. "Get Kaely and Judy and tell them to come help us find him." He said as he rolled down the hall and to the front door. His heart was pounding. His stomach was in knots. Did he leave? Did someone take him? Had he said anything that would possibly make the boy want to leave? He couldn't tell Quinn about this- she'd flip. But what if their baby boy was actually gone? As in, ran away? Artie was shaking. He wanted to throw up. The boy was only four- where would he go?

He opened up the already cracked-open front door, and his heart sank. All of a sudden, all of the muscles in his body relaxed and he gave a large sigh. For there, on the sidewalk where they print the street numbers, sat his son. Artie poked his head inside the house. "False alarm, guys! I found him right here." He sighed. He heard the cries of joy from the ladies in the house.

Slowly, Artie rolled down the driveway and up next to the kid, who was sitting barefoot, facing the street. "Elijah Lucas Abrams, you can't just leave the house like that. You know that!" Artie said. The boy looked up with a tear-stained face. "You scared me half to death."

"I was trying to walk to England." The boy muttered. "But then I remembered that you said Mommy was on a plane…"

Artie hoisted Eli up from the ground and sat him on his lap. "Why were you trying to walk to England?"

Eli's face scrunched up as he began crying again, "I was gonna take you and Rae with me. I just first wanted to talk to Mommy."

"About what?" Artie chuckled, brushing his son's hair from his face.

"When you were in Canadia, Mommy said that I was the man of the house and I had to protect her and Rae from danger and bad guys…"

Artie raised an eyebrow, "I'm not a bad guy, right?"

"No. You're Batman."

"Y'got that right, Robin." Artie teased.

Eli laughed a bit. "But I heard that people who are married but don't spend time with each other…um…that they get not-married and they have to share the kids and one of them moves out and stuff…"

"Well, yeah, sometimes." Artie put his arm around his son, watching his hair blow in the late-night wind as he looked up at him with sad eyes. His heart hurt for his son. He never realized that making movies would really get in the way of his parenting like this. "But me and Mommy love each other too much for that. It's not about how much time you spend together, it's about how much love you put into the time you have. And me and Mommy love each other a whole lot."

Eli smiled. "Sorry I scared you."

Artie picked the boy up and placed him on his shoulders. "It's alright, dude. I just hope your grandma figured out how to turn the alarm off." They both laughed. It was then that Artie realized that Eli had his laugh. He rolled up to the front door and into the house. "Now you're gonna need your rest. We have a big day coming tomorrow."

Eli's grip tightened around his father's neck, excitedly. "Where are we going? The park?"

"Nope." Artie smirked.

"Disneyland?"

"Nah, better."

"Where where _where_?" Eli bounced up and down on his dad's shoulders.

"We're going to England."


	20. The Ignorance Jar

**This chapter idea was suggested by wheelchairby284. Loved writing it! Only one more chapter, plus an epilogue left, guys. This story is slowly coming to an end. Bittersweet ,eh?**

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><p>"<em>We got pretty famous, if I do say so myself…A little too famous…"<em>

"Fuck the paparazzi." Artie mumbled, as he and Quinn were exiting a Hollywood restaurant. Ten-year-old Eli and six-year-old Rae were being nearly blinded by the flashing lights of the quasi-photographers. Eli was lucky that his shaggy blonde hair was nearly shielding his eyes. Rae, on the other hand, was clenched at Quinn's side against her will. Knowing his daughter, she probably would've been kicking people in the shins if Quinn hadn't been holding her back.

"Watch your language. The last thing we need is for Rae to say something that they can catch on film." Quinn whispered to him. Finally, they were able to get in their SUV peacefully. What had started out to be a peaceful Valentine's Day family dinner became hectic as soon as they stepped out of the restaurant. Usually, Artie was civil with the paps. He understood- that was how they made their living. But when his kids were involved, he had no boundaries. As soon as they were all buckled up, Artie took off, not caring what photographer he ran into on the way.

Quinn looked exhausted in the passenger seat. "Is this how it's going to be every time we take them out?" she sighed. Fame had hit them pretty fast, since Quinn's last movie was a blockbuster hit. Not something Oscar-worthy, but a hit nonetheless. And all of a sudden, Artie's directorial talents were in high demand. They loved what they did, honestly, but it was tiring sometimes now that the kids were there.

"Yeah, well, you'd think they'd learn by now." Artie stopped at a stoplight and ran a hand over his beard. Thirty-six years old and a director? Had to have at least a little hair on your chin.

Quinn gave a laugh. "When are you going to shave that thing? It's disgusting."

"I'm gettin' my Spielberg on, woman!" Artie chuckled.

Then, they erupted into a fit of laughter.

"What's so funny?" Rae's little voice called from the back.

Artie shrugged, "Because we're feeling giggly! Aren't you, my little Rae of sunshine?"

"No. I wanted to hit the man with the camera and you wouldn't let me." She whined. "Just like mommy wouldn't let me hit the boy-"

"_Ramona Arlene!_" Quinn spat through her teeth, turning around and giving her daughter a look. Artie knit his brow as the light turned green.

"The boy who what? Rae, are you getting into fights again? What did we tell you about that?" As much as Artie tried to scold her about her little violent streak, he couldn't help but laugh at the thought of his little girl- Disney princess sneakers and unbrushed hair beating up some kids on the playground. Hey, at least she stood up for herself. From what he heard, she never instigated these fights like a bully.

The car was dead silent.

"….Is there something I don't know here?" Artie raised an eyebrow and looked at his family.

"A boy in Rae's class…" Quinn began, gently, "…made a comment about us. About…_you._"

Artie gave a chuckle. "That's all? Like I care about the opinion of some little brat. Damn, y'all think I'm weak."

"He asked me what happened to you to put you in your chair," Rae began, and Artie felt Quinn tense up next to him. He should've known. When Eli was of first-grader age, he got the occasional stare or frightened little kid, just as he'd gotten his entire life. But somehow, they were able to escape outright confrontation. Kids were getting bold nowadays, weren't they? ",so I told him that you had an accident. And so he asked me when your accident happened, and I told him I think when you were little like me, and he asked why my mommy would marry someone with no legs." That took an unexpected turn. "So I told him that you have legs, they just don't work like everyone else's , and he said that that's a waste of two legs…"

By now, they'd just pulled into their driveway and Artie was sitting behind the wheel, silent. But he was able to suck it up- he'd dealt with this his whole life. Teasing, bullying, it was nothing new. But when they got to his kids, there was a new flame that burned inside of him. Quinn took his hand from the passenger seat and squeezed.

"He's just a kid. His mom and I aren't really the best of friends on the PTA, she's probably feeding him a bunch of lies. And Rae knows better than to listen to them like this. Please, just let it go…" she placed a kiss on the back of his hand and, holding back the urge to pound his fist on the dash board, Artie squeezed her hand back and gave her a peck on the lips.

"Who's up for root beer floats for dessert?" He called to the kids in the back, regaining composure in a few short moments. They answered with excited screams as they unbuckled and ran inside.

Two days later, that Monday, Artie was at a casting for his latest film. A girl was in the middle of a cold read when his phone began vibrating. He excused himself from the table and answered in the hallway.

"Artie…" Quinn's voice huffed on the other end, "Eli got into a fight at school."

He had to take a double-take. Eli? His _son_? The calm, cool, collected Eli? With glasses and an addiction to video games had gotten into _a fight_? "Wha-wha-How bad?"

"The school nurse says he's got a few bruises and a black eye, and he lost a tooth." He could've sworn he heard her mumble under her breath, "It better have been that last baby tooth."

"Do you need me over there now?"

"Meet us at home? He is not going to be in that death trap for the rest of the day." Quinn sighed. She sounded worried, preoccupied with her own thoughts and fears.

"On my way, Mama Bear." He sighed back.

About a half-hour later, Artie pulled up to their house, and rushed as quickly as he could to the front door. He rolled inside to find Rae watching Sesame Street on the living room TV, and Eli with his head propped up on the arm of the couch, a bag of peas covering his eye.

"Hey buddy," Artie said quietly, rolling up beside the boy, whose blonde hair was sprawled around his head like a halo.

Eli opened his available eye. "I'm sorry dad…" he groaned.

"All I want to know is what happened." Artie shrugged, propping himself up next to his son. Eli sat up and took the bag of peas down, revealing a swollen eye. Artie cringed at the sight.

"I asked Rae who that kid was that was saying that stuff about you, and I found his older brother on the big kids' playground…No one told me he was a sixth grader." The boy's voice was almost a whine, as if he was embarrassed. "I thought that maybe I could talk to him first. Tell him to talk to his brother. But then he told me that my dad was a cripple…So I- I dunno. I punched him."

"Hit him hard, too." Rae chimed in. "It was so cool!"

Artie closed his eye and scratched his beard. This was his fault. All his fault. His son was sitting here, bruised and beaten and embarrassed because he was in a wheelchair. It took him a few moments to get himself out of that mindset. "Don't ever think that you have to stand up for me. I don't care what anyone says- Who they are. If they're a sixth grader or a first grader. Don't feel like you have to defend me that way. Try to talk some sense into 'em, sure. But sometimes, you don't know what you're messin' with. And I don't want you to get hurt."

Eli gave a heaving sigh. "_Now_ you tell me." He chuckled.

Artie laughed, too, and put an arm around his son. "But it's nice to know you got my back, kiddo. I just don't want you messing up that face of yours." He then leaned in and whispered, "You get your good looks from me, you know."

And then, as if on cue, Quinn appeared from the hallway, en route to the kitchen. "Yeah, but you get your common sense from your mom. Impulsive, defensive, passionate. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little bit proud."

Rae stood from her spot on the floor, then sat herself in Artie's lap. "Daddy…" she began, brown eyes big and innocent, "…Why do people make fun of you?"

He pondered. But…well, he couldn't find the answer.

"…I wish I knew, Rae." He shrugged. "But here's what I think- People don't like things to be different. They get scared of things that aren't like them because, well, people are assholes."

"Artie…" Quinn chuckled from the kitchen, as she made her way over to them with a plate of chips in her hand.

Artie laughed. "It's not like she hasn't heard it, or said it…To her kindergarten teacher." He glanced at his little girl, whose mischievous face lit up at the memory. 'Thtop being thuch an ath-hole, Mithuth Turnblad.'

"We need to stop teaching our kids to have potty mouths. We need a swear jar." Quinn said.

"Yeah, well some families need an Ignorance Jar." Artie placed an arm around his daughter, "Just like we accidentally teach you bad words, some parents accidentally teach their kids to be mean to people who are different, all because of the way _they_ feel. That's not right. And it's not fair, but it happens. When people see me in my chair, some people look and then look away like I was just any other person. But some people, it really wigs them out to see someone so different. And those are the kinds of people who draw Sebastian the Crab all red, and not rainbow like a certain little girl I know." He poked Rae on the nose, to which she slapped his hand away, but with a smile. "And all you've got to do is know that hopefully someday they'll change. And maybe you'll help them change- Because those people don't need to be hit or punched or kicked, they need to be _taught_ what's good and what's bad.

"Now, I'm not saying that that kid that Eli clocked today didn't learn a thing or two, but..." Artie joked and nudged his son, but got no response until he felt Eli give a sigh beneath his arm.

"Fifth grade sucks…" he began to rub his swollen eye, but flinched at the feeling. "…I've been in there for two weeks and I've already gotten into a fight with a sixth grader who called my dad a cripple, and my whole class calls _me_ Quiet Kid."

"Own it." Quinn shrugged. "You can't let one thing define you. There's so much more to your dad than his chair- he's got a disability, sure, but he's so _capable_." She looked up at Artie with admiring eyes, to which he blushed.

"Like my chair, or your quiet...ness." Artie nudged the kid once more. "I mean, you gotta be able to realize what's awesome about you. Look at me- Been in a chair since I was eight, and then I realized I could sing, which led me to realize that I could direct, which led me to realize that this thing" he gestured to his chair across from him, ",is just my means of transportation. Even when I could stand again...I realized that that didn't make me any happier, and that it was really just my attitude. I just wanted to prove that I _could_. You can do _so _much."

Eli gnawed on his lower lip, "…That's why I hit him. I mean, yeah, I was mad about what he said about you, but I guess I was also kinda mad that he thought he could talk to me like that just cause I'm _quiet_ and no one wants to be my friend."

"Well looks like you've just earned yourself a bit of a reputation. The Fifth Grader Who Took On a Sixth Grader. I like that title, don't you?" Artie teased, nudging his son.

Eli chuckled. "…And lost. Bad."

"Oh, you're telling me he got away unscathed? C'mon, dude, tell me the damage." He was glad to see a smile on the boy's face- he wasn't feeling guilty anymore, and was actually feeling kind of proud that he'd stood his ground that way. And Artie was proud of him.

"I got him in the eye, too. And in the stomach, and I got him on the ground and kicked him. Once. But then he came back up and…yeah."

Quinn had a smirk on her face, omnipresent per usual. "I can guarantee that when you go back to school, you will be _the talk_ of the fifth grade, baby."

"Yeah, tomorrow, when you walk in class, so many kids are gonna want to talk to you…" Artie persisted, until Eli was laughing.

"Tomorrow? Dad, I'm suspended for the rest of the week."

Artie's eyes widened. "They suspended you? For that? Oh, come on, that kid had it coming!" he protested. "Do they know that you're going to be missing a week's worth of school for this?" School made Eli happy. And Artie didn't want to see him lounging around the house all week on his Nintendo- Especially if this kid was going to be a bioengineer like he was planning.

Quinn laid a hand on his shoulder, and peered up at him with glowing green eyes. "Who's the Mama Bear now?" she teased. Artie raised an eyebrow, then just laughed. The Abramses were slowly gaining a bit of an aggressive reputation, he could tell. But he liked that- his kids having that edge. They were the Abramses, and while they looked harmless- a dad in a wheelchair, sweet-smiled blonde mother, quiet kid with glasses, and a six-year-old princess- they were not to be messed with.


	21. Daughters

"_Rae has always been a tough little girl…I had never really seen her outside of that before…And it shocked me..." _

Quinn seemed as if she couldn't let go. Beth- her Beth, her long lost Beth- was hugging her tightly, also not wanting to say goodbye. Time and nerves often got in the way of Quinn finally meeting her daughter. But now, Beth, twenty-two and a college graduate had flown out to LA to meet Quinn…And it was such an incredible experience. They'd spent a few days together, talking about life and bonding, and doing things that were just so long overdue. The girl had Quinn's nose (her old one), and curly blonde hair, and was just…perfection. She turned out amazingly- a dancer, just graduated from Julliard. Shelby had done well.

The two parted, and Beth knelt down to give Rae a hug. The girl had had an attitude these last few days, and Quinn couldn't seem to peg why. She was acting out more than usual, being a brat on shopping trips with Beth, and not cooperating like she…kind of did sometimes. Quinn couldn't count the times she'd had to send her to her room for acting out. And it was a shame, because she wasn't able to spend that much time with her big sister.

"Oh, it was so nice meeting you, Rae." Beth squeezed her, but the hug seemed very one-sided.

"Rae, say bye to Beth." Quinn prompted, but the girl didn't budge. She was as straight as the ends of her hair pulled tightly back into the elastic of her ponytail, which she hated.

"Bye, Beth." Rae gritted through her teeth.

Quinn gave Beth a glance- She knew she wasn't like this all the time. Something had her acting strange. Beth gave Quinn one last squeeze before holding her by the hand.

"I'll be back in a few months, Quinn. Tell Artie and Eli I give them all the kisses and hugs."

"Yeah, I'm sorry they couldn't be here to see you off. Movie stuff. And I wish we could take you to the airport, but we gotta get Rae to her soccer game." She put an arm around her daughter, but she shrugged it off.

Beth shook her head and wiped tears away from her own green eyes. "Oh no, I understand. I'm a grown up…I think." She laughed, and made her way to the front door. "My cab is outside anyway. Bye. I had such a nice time. Bye, Rae." She gave Rae a tiny wave, but it was hardly reciprocated.

Quinn had to hold back her sobs watching the girl- the _woman_- walk out of her door. When she parted from her her senior year of high school, when she was a baby, Quinn didn't expect that the next time she'd see her would be when she was thirty-eight. She felt so old. This was long overdue. But now that they've finally reconnected, Quinn felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. But the funk that her daughter was in left her with a whole new one.

"Kay, Mom, put on your big girl panties and take me to my game." Rae grabbed her water bottle from the kitchen counter. Oh, that was it. That was the last straw.

Quinn whipped her head around to her daughter. "What is your problem?" she hissed. "Since Beth got here, you've been acting way out of line, young lady."

Rae rolled her eyes upward. "Nothing." She was only eight. Quinn didn't expect to have to deal with this stuff until she was at least thirteen.

"No. You're angry. What is wrong? Tell me or you are not playing today." Quinn crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow. The girl stomped her foot.

"I'm not telling you!" she shouted. It was then that Quinn saw the tears in her eyes.

"Baby…Tell me what's wrong." She softened. A single tear fell down her daughter's cheek before she snatched the elastic out of her ponytail.

Rae wiped her eyes. "I'm your daughter." She sniffled. "But…Beth…" she couldn't articulate the sentence, but Quinn could tell exactly what she meant, and that made her heart drop. Was she really thinking that Quinn was replacing her with Beth?

"Beth is my daughter, yes. But _I'm_ not her _mother._ I'm_ your_ mommy. You and Eli and nobody else's." Quinn knelt on her knees and ran her hands over Rae's shoulders.

Rae's face crumpled and she let out a sob. "I'm sorry, Mom. But it's not fair. You're so many people's moms…In the movies and on TV and now to Beth. _I'm_ your daughter. But it doesn't feel like it."

"Ramona Abrams." Quinn asserted, holding her daughter's hands. "That's my job. I'm acting. And I had Beth when I was so young- I wasn't able to be a mom to her. There's plenty of me to go around." She held her arms open for a hug and Rae leaned in, squeezing her.

"But _I _need you."

"And you have me." Quinn stroked the girl's hair as she cried into her shoulder. The last time she and Rae had this kind of interaction, Rae was only a toddler. It was strange…The girl had never been so vulnerable. "You'll always have me. Because _you are my daughter_. Don't let anything make you think otherwise."

Rae sniffled once, then pulled back. "Okay." She pouted, with a small smile. "Now can I go kick ass in my game? I wanna make you proud."

Quinn laughed heartily, feeling her own tears begin to well up. This girl bounced back quick. "You already make me proud. As long as you stop saying ass." She teased.

Rae laughed. Quinn knew that it was because she didn't plan on doing that. "Got it."

"I love you." She reminded the little girl, before standing up and taking her hand.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now tell me, Ma- Do I _have _to wear my pony today? You do them so tight."

Quinn knew how to tighten a pony, she knew. "Eh. I suppose not. Besides, I think a nice little messy bun will be just as effective in kicking ass."


	22. Head Over Wheels

"_And then that day came that changed my career-our careers…" _

Artie pulled up into his driveway like a mad man, he supposed, his hands trembling and his body needing to get into the house. He'd just got off of the phone with some Hollywood executives- They were interested in making a movie about him. About his life. And they wanted him to direct, and cast it and…their production company was going to make this movie Oscar-worthy. Just the thought made Artie's heart skip a beat. He never really thought of it…The idea that a movie about _his_ life…a biography…could be his ticket to the highest honor in filmmaking- an Academy Award.

He'd directed and co-directed eleven movies in his time, five of them starring Quinn, and by now, she was a household name. Him? Not so much, since people tended not to care as much about the person behind the camera, and that was okay with him. But this was not a chance to just pass up. He had to at least give it a chance. As soon as Artie was en route to the front door, he heard the moaning of the garage door opening, and turned around.

"Hey, honey, where'd you disappear to?" Quinn asked as she placed a large cardboard box in the corner of the room.

Artie couldn't seem to find the words, so he just kind of moved his lips like a fish until the words would come out. "20th Century Fox called me and…they want to make a movie about me. About my life." He looked down, then back up. "And they want me to direct."

Quinn's face was priceless- her eyes bugged, and she too began to do the fish-lips thing. "Oh, my God, Artie, that's fantastic! That's so great!" she ran to him and took his face in her hands before placing a kiss on his lips. Her Tiffany's charm bracelet jingled by his ear, now jingling with fourteen charms, all crowded on the chain, one for every year of their marriage. They were forty, now, and their fifteenth anniversary was coming in four months. Once she pulled back, Quinn leaned on their car, and crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head slowly. "Jeez, you know those guys did _Walk the Line_, right?"

"Only one of the highest-grossing biographies of all time? Of course I knew that!" Artie exclaimed, still not believing it himself. "God, Q. You and me- Johnny Cash and June Carter…" he smirked, pulling her by her hand, and kissing the back of it. "But that's not all." He held her hand between the both of his, and looked her in the eye. "They _told me_ that this could be Oscar-worthy."

He watched as Quinn's expression became one of shock. "Wow." Was all she could say.

Artie shook his head, thinking of the possibility. "But I don't know- that's not what's appealing to me. I want people to see this and see what we-" he gestured to his chair, "-can do. I want to do my own voiceover and pick some plucky young actor who's way hotter than me to be me, and maybe get someone who's actually in a chair too and some actress who can't even _compare_ to your beauty, but is pretty close." He couldn't stop rambling and laughing at the thought. "I need to be told. Simple as that. And I can't believe I never thought of it before."

Quinn laughed with him. "Darling, don't count your chickens before they hatch." She said- always the rational one. "But, you know, if I'm allowed to make a cameo…" she teased. Artie took her hand and twirled her, watching blue her skirt twirl around her legs.

"Oh, I will count _all of my chickens_. Because I'm feeling _really good_ about this, Q." he breathed, trying to steady his heartbeat. "You know that feeling when you can't shake an idea of something? Like it's so good that you know there will be no chance of failure?"

He watched as the gears in Quinn's head turned, and she prepared herself to make a witty retort. "You mean the way I felt when I knew I wanted to marry you?" she suggested, smirking. Artie gestured for her to bend and kiss him once more- She always knew how to make his heart do indescribable things.

"Yeah. I would hope it's that feeling." He sighed, running his hands over his wheels. "Hey, hey remember the script you wrote for me for our anniversary when you were telling me you were pregnant with Eli?" he asked, his own gears turning now. Artie adjusted his glasses and leaned back in his wheelchair, popping a wheelie. This was perfect. Yes.

Quinn raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I just put it away in this box." She pat the cardboard box that she'd put down. "I did a little bit of early Spring cleaning and put our little knick-knack keepsakes in here." Without thinking, Artie tore into the box, ripping up the duct tape and inhaling the smell of paper- countless love letters, birthday cards, anniversary cards, and little things they'd collected over the years. He sifted through, and found the thick packet of papers finally. Across the front read, "Head Over Wheels".

"Head Over Wheels." He said quietly, to himself, as Quinn peered over his shoulder, probably wondering what he was babbling about. "This is it." He said, even quieter, eyes scanning the pages of various scenes, vignettes, and stuff. And it was then that he realized that this movie wasn't just going to be about him. "This is my movie." He said louder.

A hand crept up his shoulder. "That's only a part of your life, though." Quinn said, sounding kind of confused. "That starts at Yale and stops before Eli was born."

"No," Artie shook his head, and then turned to look Quinn in the eye. Her green eyes looked back at him, questioningly. "_We_ are my movie." Quinn's eyes widened, as she retracted from him.

"But babe, they want _you_. I mean, sure, I'm a part of your life, but you've got so much more to give than our relationship."

Artie laughed. "Woman, why was Walk the Line so successful, hm? Because it wasn't just Johnny Cash- It was him and June and how she helped him overcome the odds. Baby, you don't know how much of my life is my life because of you." He wheeled toward her, and took her by the hips, an action that he'd gotten used to doing over the years. "This is where it is. My dark days, sure, they'll win some lucky actor his first Oscar nomination for the scenes where he's trapped in a port-a-potty…But my happy days, the days where you and Eli and Rae picked me up when I was in the dumps, when we did fun, goofy family things together, the first day I laid eyes on you. That's the stuff people wanna see- and that's what I want them to see."

He watched as Quinn warmed up to the idea. "You're crazy. And we can't guarantee 20th Century Fox will want it if it's not exactly how they envisioned it…"

"Screw them." Artie chuckled, "Girl, this movie is mine now. And we'll find a production company who _does_."

"Jeez, Artie." Quinn laughed. "I can't wait." She knelt and gave him a kiss, "Now about that cameo…"

Artie held Quinn by the waist and rolled to the door. "Yeah, I was thinkin' maybe you could play your mom." He teased, which earned him a smack on the shoulder.

"That's not funny!" Quinn shouted, through laughter. "Oh God, I'm getting that old, aren't I?" she whined, before bending her body to lean on Artie's head.

"Forty isn't that old." Artie sighed as they entered the house. "Now, forty-_one_ is where the crow's feet and the wrinkles and the-"

Quinn let out an inhuman sound. "Stop it!" she laughed. "Hey, I'll play my mom if you play your dad."

The thought made Artie cringe. He was definitely not the type to play his father. "Psh…Now, me,_ I'm_ not getting old."

"Mmm…" Quinn shut the door behind them. "Say that to your receding hairline." She retorted. Artie let out a gasp. No one- not even Quinn- talked about his losing his hair. He was one smart comment away from running away and getting hair plugs.

"Oh, that's it!" he took Quinn by the waist and threw her over his shoulder. She was howling with laughter, her belly shaking on his chest.

Quinn beat Artie on the back, "Careful, you might break one of my brittle old lady hips!" she teased, but Artie gave her a small smack on the butt, which was just within tapping distance.

"Hey, it's awfully quiet in here. Where are the kids?" he asked.

"Rae's at soccer practice and Eli is studying at a friend's house."

He sat Quinn up in his lap, admiring her. "Well…You know what they say gets better with age…" he cocked an eyebrow and made a clicking noise with his tongue.

Quinn hissed through her teeth. "See, I don't know if you want to have sex with the woman who will be playing _my mother_ in the movie of your life. "And there was the moment. Artie threw his head back in disgust, trying to get that image out of his head.

"And now you went and ruined the moment." He groaned. But then he felt Quinn's lips on his neck.

"No I didn't." she whispered. And she was right- she hadn't.


	23. Surprise!

"_That movie brought with it a lot of surprises…"_

"Eli, this is really fuckin' hard." Rae complained, her brown hair falling over her shoulder as she held Eli's acoustic guitar. He watched her bracelets clang together while she shook her arms in front of her out of frustration. All he could see, though, was that his guitar was not in safe hands.

"Alright, I think it's time I took that back." He reached his scrawny arms out carefully and plucked the guitar from her lap. He and his little sister were both fairly bony, but Rae harbored some sort of strength that was like Hit Girl and a zombie combined. She could have fought him off if she wanted to. Eli adjusted his glasses on his face and began to play, pulling the pick from his pocket. His dad had taught him when he was really young, and Eli hadn't been able to put the guitar down since. He was sixteen, now, and Rae was thirteen, and they were the son and daughter of recent Oscar-winning couple, Artie Abrams and Quinn Fabray.

The night before, Eli and Rae watched on the TV as his father's biography, Head Over Wheels: The Abrams Story, which had been nominated for six awards, swept up, winning three of the six, including Best Film and Best Direction of a Film. Best Film was the one that he and Rae literally stood, screaming and cheering, while giving their Aunt Kaely a heart attack. (A well-deserved one. He was sixteen, and didn't need a babysitter.)

Today, both sides of Eli and Rae's family flew out to LA to meet Artie and Quinn when they got home from their Hollywood hotel and parties to have a congratulatory surprise party. Both grandmas, Aunt Frannie, Aunt Kaely, their husbands, their cousin Bae, and even Sam and Mercedes Evans came with their kids. (Their son Micah, especially, who Rae had become particularly fond of.) The biggest surprise, though, was Beth Corcoran, their sister. Their Los Angeles home was buzzing with family and friends awaiting the arrival of the Man and Woman of Honor.

Three Oscars.

Being the son of a famous actress and director definitely made its mark on Eli's life. He knew he wasn't very outgoing, so seeing teenage girls with blogs dedicated to him on the internet was kind of weird, but flattering. They all thought he was a "hipster kind of cute", since he wore glasses and wasn't very athletic-looking and played guitar. He didn't get the hype, and he never would…But his girlfriend begged to differ. Eli turned to Mallory and planted a kiss on her cheek, and placing his guitar on the floor beneath him.

"Talk some sense into my sister." He muttered to her. The girl gave a giggle before turning to Rae.

"You've just gotta practice…Or, you know, music might not be your thing. You play soccer, right?" Mallory offered to Rae. She was in that thirteen-year-old 'Who am I?' stage, which she only knew how to express through anger.

Rae rolled her eyes. "Whatever. But you try being the only one during the family sing-along that doesn't sing along." She sighed. Just before Eli was about to condemn her for even mentioning Family Sing-Along Fridays, his phone vibrated. He checked the caller ID- Oh, shit, it was Mom. He gave Rae his index finger, before standing and walking to the bathroom to find a quiet area.

"Hey, ma." He answered, trying not to give away the party they were having. "Congratulations, again." They'd spoken right after the win, when he and Rae were still freaking out.

Quinn gave a hoarse-sounding laugh. She was probably partying all night, like those forty-two-year-olds do. "Thanks, honey." She said, "What are you guys up to? We're on our way home right now, and we are definitely thinking celebratory McDonald's. What do you guys thinking?"

Eli cracked the door and saw that the party was still going strong, loud, and eating food catered by Chile's. He closed it before answering with a smirk, "You know, I don't think Rae is up for McDonald's. Why don't you come home first and we'll talk it over?"

"He says that Rae might not be up for McDonald's and that we should maybe come home first…" She was clearly talking to Artie, now, clearing it with him. "Yeah? Well I wouldn't mind having a bite out of you, either." Eli held his head in his hands, laughing, feigning childish horror.

"Mom!" he shouted, reminding her who she was on the phone with.

He heard his mother's laugh on the other end, "Sorry, Eli. Your dad is still a little excited from last night."

"_Mom_." Eli groaned once more, no longer feigning the horror, but really feeling it.

"Not like that. That one is your fault." Quinn laughed, "We're like, five minutes away, alright? We'll be there soon."

Eli felt his breath catch in his throat- five minutes? That was really quick. "Kay. See you in five minutes. Love you."

"Love you, too."

She hung up, and Eli nearly ran out of the bathroom. He went to the couch and took Rae by the shoulders. "Mom and Dad are five minutes away."

Her eyes widened, and she gestured around her. "Well? Tell everyone to hide!" Eli stood and looked around him at his family and friends, his stomach churning. This was not the time, nerves. He had a job to do.

"Um, everybody?" he asked quietly, scanning the room. "Everybody?" he tried louder, but no one heard him.

"Hey everyone!" Rae shouted, standing on the couch, hands on her hips, looking positively adorable in a pink dress with polka dot tights. Eli couldn't help but laugh at the juxtapositioning of his sister's personality to her style. The house went quiet, and all eyes looked up at the girl. "You all need to get your butts behind or under something cause we're pretty sure my parents are about three minutes away." With a flip of her brown curls, she gave them a "What are you waiting for?" look, which sent everyone scurrying about, trying to find a place to hide.

Rae hopped off the couch and took Eli by the arm. "You and me will keep lookout." She pulled him to the window where they sat, peering at the driveway. Eli turned, pulling the sleeves of his plaid button-up over his elbows and examined the living room. It looked so empty, but the rustling of bodies and giggling gave them away. He and Rae waited for what felt like hours, waiting for their parents' white BMW to pull up in the driveway.

When it finally did, Rae turned to the empty-looking room and whisper-shouted, "Everybody quiet! They're here!"

* * *

><p>Quinn took two of the Oscars in her hand as she exited the car. Artie held the Best Direction statue in his, having not parted with it since he won it the night before. If she didn't know better, Quinn would've guessed that he'd had it glued to his hand. She walked behind her husband's wheelchair, and up to their front door.<p>

"I left this house an Oscar-less man, but look at me now, son!" Artie shouted to the heavens. Quinn couldn't help but laugh- he was so elated, and he probably wouldn't recover from this high, like, ever. She'd never seen him so happy. Quinn sped up her pace and wrapped her arms around Artie's shoulders from behind, and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm so proud of you." She whispered, squeezing him once more. Artie squeezed back, and stopped at the front door. He looked down at his lap, where his Best Direction of a Film statue laid, then back up at her.

Artie gave a small sigh, "Look at us. Look at this. Raked up at the Oscars, and then we get to come home to two amazing…crazy kids."

Quinn smiled, eyeing the two statues in her hand. Best Film and Best Original Song. This was a small award, having not been one of the ones that they aired on television this year, but Quinn couldn't help but smile at it- when the songwriter presented Artie with "Harmony", he immediately asked Quinn to sing it with him. Of course, she agreed, but with a bit of protest- this was Artie's baby. She didn't need to be a part of it for it to be great, but he insisted. And they won for it. She didn't think the kids knew, since it wasn't televised, but they'd find out when they went inside.

"Crazy being the key word." Quinn chuckled, being reminded of the thing she'd planned to tell Artie, but didn't want to stress him out before the big night…Even though it was killing her inside.

"Q…" Artie began, "…I think it's time I…retire." Quinn felt her heart drop and her eyes widen.

"Baby…You're barely forty-two. That's a little early." She chuckled, trying to laugh off her worry- what was he trying to say?

Artie looked down at his Oscar, "I've got my prize. I think it's time I start giving back or something. Something that…doesn't involve me. Maybe I'll help budding directors or…Teach a class or…I dunno. I just don't want to be one of those successes who spends the rest of his life trying to live up to his first success. This is where I peak, and this is the way I want to be remembered."

Quinn knit her eyebrows. Their lives were really just starting- her career, especially, as she was now receiving roles in dramas as a troubled housewife or a wisecracking mother. Quinn knew that Best Original Song was an honor, but not _her_ honor. Best Actress was just a movie away…

"You won't be." Was all she could say. She examined Artie's eyes as he scanned their porch, pursing his lips and pondering life.

"I dunno, maybe I'm just being a coward or something…" Artie shrugged, his few grey hairs showing on his head. "But…I think it's time I took a break, at least. To hang out with my son. Fight off the boys for my daughter. Be a dad."

Quinn gave a small laugh. "Well, you know Rae has a crush on Sam and Mercedes' son." She smirked. She saw more terror in Artie's eyes than she anticipated.

"Oh, really? She said that?" he asked. Quinn wondered if he was afraid because his thirteen-year-old was showing interest in boys, or because he missed this vital information.

She shook her head, with a shrug. "No, it's just a mother's intuition." She couldn't believe that here she was, over forty with budding crow's feet at the edges of her eyes, and raising two amazing kids. Well…

"I wanna spend more time with the kids." Artie said once more. "I dunno, be suburban." The boyish smile on his face made Quinn giggle once more. "Maybe have another."

Quinn's heart dropped. _No way._

"Artie…" Quinn said, sounding out of breath and surprising herself.

"I know, I know…" he began, placing a hand in front of him and shaking his head, "…It's impractical. We're old and stuff. But I don't know, we could adopt or something, or take in a foster kid, it doesn't have to be a baby…" His blue eyes peered up at her, completely serious.

"Artie, I'm pregnant."

The words loomed in the air, circling them both for what felt like hours.

"Wh-what?" Artie finally asked, his blue eyes wide and looking both hopeful and shocked.

Quinn threw her hands in the air and shrugged, "I've known for literally four days- I didn't want to tell you and steal the thunder away from the Oscars and…I don't know, I didn't know how you'd feel." A light behind Artie's eyes lit up, and his smile spread across his face.

"How would I feel? _How would I feel_?" he asked, laughing and taking Quinn by the waist. She let out a yelp, as well as a laugh of her own. "Woman, if you don't know me by now…" He couldn't stop looking at her stomach. "When did this happen?"

Quinn smirked. "Well I can't say the exact date…" she teased, "…But I met up with my stylist and got fitted for my Oscars dress, and she said I had gone up a size. I thought I was just retaining water…But when I went for a jog that day, I got so nauseous, and threw up in Renee Zellwegger's begonia bush. And I bought my test right after that, and went to the doctor to confirm the next day." Quinn shook her head- she still couldn't believe this was happening. A total accident, there was a baby in her womb _again_. At forty-two, you weren't supposed to just be getting pregnant willy-nilly. But there they were, for the third time marveling at the life they'd created.

Artie took Quinn by the cheeks and kissed her passionately. "This is…This is a great day." he said to her, pressing their foreheads together and simply relishing the moment.

"Yeah. It is." She agreed, "Now let's get inside. We said 'five minutes' fifteen minutes ago."

Right when Artie put his key in the door and turned the knob, the door flung open from the inside, and the two were presented with their two children, eyes bugging out of their sockets.

"You're pregnant?!" they both said in unison. Quinn was taken aback, but the mother in her simply put her hands on her hips and cocked her head.

"What did I tell you two about listening to grown-up conversations with your ears pressed up against the door?" she scolded. Just then, bodies rose slowly and awkwardly from behind furniture and under tables, shouting a mix of "Surprise!" and "Oh my God, you're pregnant?"

Quinn clutched Artie's shoulder, expecting to have to fight off intruders, but then realized that she knew the faces that were popping up- Her mother, sister, sister-in-law…Beth…

"Oh my God!" she shouted, covering her mouth. "What is this?" Quinn asked quietly to herself, then demanded out of her children, "_What is this_?"

Rae closed the front door and took Quinn and Artie's hands in each of hers, pulling them further into the house. "It was _supposed_ to be a surprise party congratulating you guys on your Oscars but-what the fuck, mom, a baby? You're all old and stuff- I thought your shit didn't work like that anymore?"

"Watch your mouth." Quinn warned her daughter, and then a smile spread across her face. "And I'm not _that_ old. Clearly, because yes, I'm having another baby." The room cheered. Well…This was _not _how she planned to announce the news.

Eli took her into a hug, towering over her at six feet tall. "Wow, Mom, this is great!"

"It's still pretty early on, but…As of right now, there is a baby in here." Quinn gave a nod, praying that with this big reveal, her age wouldn't catch up with her and this pregnancy wouldn't result in a miscarriage.

Artie was exchanging hugs with friends and family members. "Yeah, I came home thinking that the only three babies I'd have would be these beauties." He held up his Best Direction statue, which Sam Evans tried to touch, but Artie swatted his hand away. "But I was sorely mistaken. I just found out myself."

Quinn's head was spinning as she hugged family members, friends, and tried to shoo her mother away from her ear. The woman kept chattering about the baby in her ear, and Quinn didn't want to hear it. What she wanted was to relish this moment- This was their peak. Their happiest moment. They were alive, healthy, in love, with two and a half beautiful children, surrounded by the people they loved. Quinn looked down at her brown boots and bootcut jeans, and as her eyes scanned upward, she caught her reflection in a picture that stood on an end table. The old high school glee club picture. It was a candid shot, cropped out of a page from her senior yearbook, where the New Directions held their Nationals trophy high in the air. Quinn had a smile on her face as confetti fell from the ceiling, and she had been laughing at some joke that Santana or Brittany made.

In the picture, her hand rested on the back of Artie's wheelchair, and he looked up at her. She looked down at him, with an admirable glance. Back then, Quinn had no idea that this would be her future. But somehow, she knew that fate knew.

"_Serendipity_."_ she read aloud. "I've heard that word so many times in my life, and I still have no idea know what it even means." she frowned._

_Artie spoke to Kacie, but couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of Quinn. "It means something that happened...by fate." he said. Quinn smiled down at him, and pushed his head away with her hand, breaking the eye contact. The eye contact was kind of intense, and she needed a better way to break it than by just turning away._

_"Yeah." she nodded to her friend. "What he said." she took a breath in the silence, and let it out before peering back over to Artie, who quickly looked away. "What he said." she repeated._

How…serendipitous.


	24. Epilogue

"_So…What happened next?" the interviewer asked, on the edge of her seat. _

"_Well…You know what happened next." Quinn gave a shrug, "Seven months later we gave birth to our last little angel, Ivy Q. Abrams." _

_Artie searched his mind, for he knew that was not what she meant, "I took a break like I said. But, of course, I couldn't just stop making movies. But I did it for fun instead of for competition, and Q went on to finally win Best Actress and…Well, I got to watch my kids grow into adults." _

_The interviewer crossed her legs, fidgeting and taking down notes. "And how did she turn out? Your last kid?" she asked with a small smirk. _

"_Curious." Artie piped in, running a hand through his greyed hair. "A really talented dancer, and definitely a Daddy's Girl." _

_Quinn held up her index finger, silencing her husband, "No, no, no, she is definitely a Mama's Girl. She's a dramatic foil to her brother and sister, really. There's the calm, cool, collected Eli, the spitfire Rae, and our little creative ball of mystery, Ivy." _

"_I think she would definitely say that she is both a Mama's Girl and a Daddy's Girl." The interviewer bobbed her head up and down eagerly, "And she'd also say that she is not 'little' anymore." _

_Artie excused her comment with a 'shoo'ing gesture of his hand. "Agh, fifteen is hardly grown up. That's why we spared you all the sexy details." _

_Ivy shut her eyes, trying to block that mental image as she dropped her notes on the floor. Interviewer persona officially shattered. "Alright, alright, alright- interview's over. Thanks, Dad." _

"_But'cha best believe I was definitely thinking of them." Her father continued, as he began kissing her mother on the jaw. _

"_You are simply impossible!" Ivy stood from her chair, cringing. "Now I have to find a way to condense this into a five-page paper." She sighed. Quinn's green eyes met her own, curious. _

"_What was the assignment anyway?" she asked, "You just said you needed this for school."_

_Ivy flipped her red-brown hair over her shoulder and huffed a breath. "Creative writing final: The Greatest Love Story. Five pages long, can be based on true events." There was a reason she didn't tell them this initially…3…2…1…_

"_Awww!" her mother squealed. _

"_It's true, though. It's really true." Artie smirked, and looked Quinn in the eyes. The two shared a loving gaze, as well as an intimate hand-hold, and Ivy decided it was best to leave them be for now. _

_She exited the kitchen and entered the living room, opening up her laptop as well as a word document. To her left was a framed picture of her older brother Eli, who was currently teaching music in third-world countries with his trusty guitar and wife, Mallory. She was pregnant, and it never failed to make Ivy chuckle, knowing her parents were soon going to become grandparents. _

_Rae, a recent college graduate had just moved in with her boyfriend. She came and went, giving their mother a heart attack every chance she got, having sacked the idea of going to law school in favor of studying politics across the country. She and Micah Evans were young and in love, and Ivy often overheard her parents saying how much the two reminded them of them. _

_Ivy's fingers hovered over her keyboard, until she just let the words come to her. _

"_Some could say that this love story begins in the red and white halls of McKinley High School. Some could say it begins in the main courtyard of Yale University. However, the argument that I choose to support, is that this love story has always begun and will never end. " _

_She glanced over the screen of her laptop and saw her parents, well into their fifties, still looking at each other like they did in their wedding photo. Quinn's greying blonde hair swept over her shoulder, and her green eyes were intent. Artie's bright blue eyes looked straight into hers, and Ivy could tell that they never got tired of telling that story. It just made them fall in love all over again. _

"_When fate is involved, there is no end."_

* * *

><p><strong>It's truly been an honor writing for all you ducklings! I hope this ending was satisfactory. There were seriously so many ways I was planning to go with the epilogue, and decided that this wasn't overly fluffy, nor overly dramatic, therefore, kind of perfect. This story was my baby, and I'm sad to see it end, but also proud that I was able to keep it up until the end, even though I took breaks for months and was really uninspired for a long time. There will be more Quartie to come in the future, as soon as my creative bug comes back! Now, I'm glad to have fallen Head Over Wheels with all of you, and I hope you're glad, too. Keep calm and duckling on. <strong>


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